Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army
by AntiHero627
Summary: After traveling to the future timeline, Gohan and Mirai Trunks encounter an old foe turned into a new android named Dr. Zero, their battle sends them into a whole new universe full of meta humans, aliens, and superheroes. The Demi Saiyans become a crime fighting duo as they search for Dr. Zero to stop his plan to rebuild the Red Ribbon Army.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey there, AntiHero here! This wasn't an idea I planned to carry out, but after some thinking about it for some time, I decided "Eh, why not? It's a Dragon Ball Z fanfic so it ought to be a good idea. As I said before, DBZ is my favorite fanfics, and the best ones to me are the ones about Gohan and/or Mirai Trunks. So I came up with another fanfic idea featuring our two favorite Demi Saiyans. There will be some OCs and other characters. For now just sit back or lay back and enjoy the story.**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Young Justice**

 **Chapter 1-**

After spending a week in the hospital in order to recover from their battle against Bojack and the Hera-jins, Gohan and Mirai Trunks were flying through the skies to a place where they could have sparring match. While in the infirmary, the half Saiyans recalled what happened during the intergalactic martial arts tournament. The two wondered how it would've gone if it wasn't interrupted, they came to the conclusion that the two of them would've had to fight to determine would get to fight another contestant or Mr. Satan to become the tournament champion.

This however brought an important question too their minds, who would won if they ever fought? Once they were discharged from the hospital Trunks was planning on returning home to the future, so the boys figured now was a good time to have a friendly fight, and the best place to do that was Trunks' timeline. Trunks went to the Capsule Corporation to pick up some things for the future. As the Demi Saiyan walked pass the gravity chamber, he caught a glimpse of his father training. Trunks knew better than to disturb his old man while he's working out, but he couldn't just pass him without greeting him.

"Hello father." said Trunks.

"Hey." Vegeta greeted back before getting back to his training.

Trunks smiled, although it wasn't much of a greeting, but that was the most anyone could get out of Vegeta. The half Saiyan left his father in peace and went to look for his mother. He went over to the garden where his grandmother was busy watering plants.

"Hello grandma." greeted Trunks.

"Trunks! Hello sweetie." greeted Mrs. Briefs. "It's good to see you, what brings you here?"

"I was looking for mom. She's suppost to give me some supplies for the future." explained Trunks.

"Oh, well Bulma's not here right now, she went out." said Mrs. Briefs. "But she did say that she left something for you in the lab. My husband should be there right now, he'll probably know what it is."

"Thank you. I'll go see him right now." said Trunks before he left. The son of Vegeta walked through the halls of the house until he came across a room that said laboratory on the door. He stepped into the lab and was greeted by a small black cat; he petted it and looked around the lab. He spotted his grandfather working on some hovercraft. "Hello grandpa." Trunks greeted the old man.

"Well hello there, Trunks." Dr. Briefs greeted his grandson. "What can I do for you?"

"Mom had something to give me before I returned to the future, grandma said you might know where it is." said Trunks.

"Hmmm. Oh yes, Bulma did leave something for you here," the head of the Capsule Corporation stopped his work and walked over to a table where he picked up a case full of capsules. "Here it is. A capsule case with everything you need for the future." He opened the case and held up each capsule as he explained what was in it to the Saiyan Prince. "The 1st one contains a newly upgraded capsule home, the 2nd one has some money, 100 million zeni to be exact, the 3rd one has food supplies, the 4th one has some scouters, Bulma thought they could help you and her future self rebuild the Capsule Corporation, the 5th a chest full of different sets of Saiyan armor that Vegeta asked her to make, the 6th one contains a personal laboratory that Bulma and I built for you in case you're interested in following our genius footsteps, and the 7th one is your own gravity chamber, complete with battle drones, advanced thermostat for temperature training, and healing tanks.

"Thank you." said Trunks, he then held up the 8th capsule. "What's in this one?"

"Oh, that's actually something for Gohan. Bulma thought you could help him with a little project he wants to work on." replied Dr. Briefs.

"I see. Well, I'll be going now." said Trunks; he turned to leave when a thought came to his mind. "Um, are you sure this is the case of capsules for me? Because mom used to tell that you sometimes get hers mixed up with yours."

"Ha ha! Don't worry, Bulma made sure that I wasn't allowed to touch your capsule case unless you came to get them." said the old genius.

"Ok, thanks again. Bye." the Saiyan teen then left the Capsule Corporation building to go find the son of Goku.

Moments later, Trunks flew through the sky until he saw something in the clouds; he smiled as he flew towards his fellow Demi Saiyan. "Hey! Gohan!" cried Trunks. Gohan smiled and waved at the time traveler. "Hey Trunks, what took you so long?" Gohan asked the lone warrior.

"I went to the Capsule Corp. to pick up some things for the future." Trunks explained as he brought the case of capsules. There's a capsule in here that's for you. Do you know what's in it?" Trunks held up the 8th capsule for Gohan to see. Gohan's face suddenly grew sad as he looked at the capsule.

"It's just something that I'd really like to finish, for the sake of an old friend." said a depressed Gohan. His face then turned happy as he said "But enough distractions, are you ready to do this?!"

"Let's settle the score." said Trunks.

The two fighters then flew off to find an uninhabited landscape to have the sparring match. At the hospital, Bulma and Chi-Chi had just asked the nurse for the room where the Z fighters were recovering. The two mothers then went to the room and were greeted by the three human Z fighters in bandages, Chiaotzu, Puar, and Oolong. They looked around and were surprised to see neither of their sons were in the hospital beds. "Hey, where are Gohan and Trunks?" asked Bulma.

"Nice to see you to Bulma," said Yamcha. "And to answer your question, the Saiyans aren't here. They left as soon as they were discharged."

"What?! They left and didn't bother to come home to their mothers?!" cried Chi-Chi

"Sorry Chi-Chi, but when they left, all they said was that they had a score to settle." said Krillin.

"What they mean by that?!" asked Bulma.

"We're doing fine by the way. The Doctor said we should be well enough to leave in four hours." said Yamcha.

"That's nice," said Bulma disregard the desert bandit. "Now what did the boys mean by having a score to settle?"

"Well, at the intergalactic martial art tournament, they were two of the final contestants." stated Tien. "They were probably suppose to fight each other for the championship, so now, they're going to fight to see who would've won the tournament since it was interrupted."

"But they just got out of the hospital! Why would they want to injure themselves again?!" asked Chi-Chi.

"They can't help it. They are Saiyans after all, fighting is in their blood." said Krillin. "Plus their fathers' rivalry lives on in them now."

"Did they say where they were going?" asked Bulma.

"Nope. They seemed anxious to start the fight." said Chiaotzu.

"Don't bother trying to interfere with their fight or you'll be hospitalized next." warned Oolong.

"Maybe they went to Kami's lookout, that's a good place for a friendly match." suggested Puar.

"We should go check as soon as were discharged." said Krillin.

"I just hope they don't get into any trouble," said Chi-Chi.

With the Demi Saiyans...

Gohan and Future Trunks landed in a wide deserted area in the mountains by north city. The landscape was white due to it being covered with snow. The mountains surrounded the entire place. The two Saiyans descended to the ground.

"We'd better hurry. Ours have probably reached the hospital, so they know we've discharged. Are you ready to go Gohan?" asked Trunks.

"Yeah. Good thing I asked Piccolo to give me a new gi and weighted cape, or else I'd be freezing." said Gohan. "You know, Piccolo and I used to train here sometimes."

"I can see why, this place is great for anyone wanting to train in solitude." said Trunks. "Your future counterpart actually took me here for training."

"Neat. Now, how about we get going so we can find out which one of us meant to the Intergalactic martial arts champion." suggested Gohan. "I can't wait to see the future.

"I'm glad you're excited about seeing my home." replied Trunks. "But you shouldn't expect much, my world is still recovering from the destruction caused by the Androids and Cell."

"Too bad the Dragonballs are gone in your timeline." said Gohan.

"It doesn't matter now, we're doing fine fixing it ourselves." said Trunks. "Now come on, let's go."

With the half Saiyans' mothers,

Bulma and Chi–Chi were riding in Bulma's plane. They came up to Korin's tower and Bulma steered the plane vertically. They eventually made it to Kami's Lookout. Unlike Bulma, Chi-Chi had never been there before, so she was amazed how something this magnificent could maintain its position above Earth's clouds. "Wow, so this is the Lookout where Goku and Gohan trained for a year in one day?" asked Chi-Chi.

"Yep. This where Kami used to live." said Bulma."Beautiful, isn't it?"

"It's amazing! I can't believe Goku said no about taking being Kami's successor and living in his palace." said Chi-Chi. "This looks like a great place to live in peacefully."

"If you ladies are done sightseeing, state your business and be off! I'd like to continue my training in peace!" said a voice from under the plane. The mothers looked out the windshield and saw the former Demon King standing under their plane with his arms crossed while frowning at them. Dende and were standing behind him waiting patiently. Bulma parked the plane on the lookout and the women stepped outside.

"Bulma, who's the mini Piccolo?" Chi-Chi whispered to her friend.

"That's Dende, our new guardian. We met him after his planet was destroyed and the Namekians came to Earth." replied Bulma. "He's friends with Krillin and Gohan, remember?"

"Oh yeah. I remember now." said Chi-Chi. "He looks just like Piccolo, except, happier, cuter, not as scary looking."

"You know I can hear everything you're saying right?" Piccolo asked the women.

"Welcome ladies," greeted . "I s there something we can do for you?"

"Our sons were discharged from the hospital and want to fight to settle a little score they have going." explained Bulma. "We came to see if they were here."

"We thought they'd be here in order to spar without disturbance." said Chi-Chi. "My son should be resuming his studies, not fighting with friends."

"Well, they're not here." said Piccolo. "Although, Gohan was here a little while ago."

"He was?" asked Chi-Chi.

"Yes. He asked me to make him a new Gi similar to mine." the Super Namek explained. "I asked him if he was planning on doing some solo training, he said that was going to spar with Trunks to settle their score."

"Did he say where he and Trunks would be?" Bulma asked the Namek.

Piccolo shook his head and said "All he said was that their battlefield wouldn't be that far from home."

"Great! Now how are we suppost to find them?" asked Chi-Chi.

"We could find them for you," Dende offered the mothers. "Piccolo and I can use our Godly vision to locate anything on Earth from here. We could locate Gohan and Trunks for you."

"Really? Then do it now!" cried Chi-Chi, making the Namekians cringe. "When I find that boy, he's gonna be in so much trouble!"

" _No wonder my pupil wanted to get away from her. The female is a real pain."_ thought Piccolo. _"Goku's lucky he decided to stay dead, now he's a free man."_

The former guardian and the new guardian walked over to the edge of the lookout, they looked downward to begin their search for the Demi Saiyans. Down on Earth, Trunks pulled out a capsule from his case and pressed the button. He let fall to the ground where it transformed into Trunks' time machine. "You might wanna hurry this up, I get the feeling that we're being watched." said Gohan. The Saiyan teen nodded as he opened the glass cover for the machine. The two half Saiyans hopped into the time machine and sat down as the glass closed. The time traveler started pushing the buttons to set the machine's destination.

"All systems go! Prepare for take off!" said Trunks as he pulled the lever. The machine began to start up and was soon blasting off into the sky. The time machine eventually started emitting white light before suddenly vanishing into thin air. The Namekians watched with wide eyes, trying to register what they just witnessed.

"Hey! What's taking so long?" asked Bulma. "Have you guys found our sons yet?"

"Gohan and Trunks are…gone." stated Piccolo.

The mothers of the half Saiyans were silent for a few minutes before they both scream "WHAT?!" Their loud voices damaging the sensitive ears of the Namekians.

"Please calm down ladies," requested . "You're loud voices are causing Piccolo and Dende pain."

"What do you mean they're gone?!" asked Chi-Chi. "Where are our sons?!"

"They went to the future," answered Piccolo.

"Huh?!" replied the women.

"It seems Gohan and Trunks have decided to have their sparring match in Trunks' timeline." Dende explained. "They just left in Trunks' time machine, so their definitely going to the future."

"So that's what Gohan meant when he said that their battlefield wouldn't be far from home, since it's technically the same place, just in a different timeline." said Piccolo. "There's no way for us to go after them, so we'll just have to wait until they've settled their little score and return to this time period."

The Saiyan wives looked like they were still mad, but Bulma calmed down eventually. "I guess there's nothing we can do about it now, we'll just have to wait for the boys to come back from their trip." she sighed. "At least this means I get to see my boy again for he leaves me forever."

Chi-Chi however, was still very mad. "OH THEY'D BETTER COME BACK! AND WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON GOHAN, HE'S GOING TO BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!" She yelled in anger.

Thirteen years in the future…

The time machine suddenly appeared in the sky. The machine descended to the ground and landed in the front yard of the Capsule Corporation. When the machine died down, the two half Saiyans stepped out of the machine. Gohan looked around in excitement while Trunks returned the time machine to its capsule form. "Wow, so this is the future. I t looks so much like my time period." said Gohan. "Except, well, there are a lot of damaged buildings here."

"Yeah, we haven't completely finished reconstructing our cities." said Trunks. "The Androids left a huge scar on this planet that will take a long time to recover from."

"I can't believe I'm in the future, I'm a time traveler now!" said Gohan.

"Trunks?! Is that you?!" Trunks' mother called from inside the house.

"Yeah mom, it's me!" replied Trunks. "I'm home, and I've brought a friend with me!"

"Really? Who is it?" Bulma asked as the Demi Saiyans entered the house. They found Bulma in the living room, sitting on the couch reading a book. When she heard someone entering the living room, she looked up from her book. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when her eyes gazed upon the half-breed from the past. "G-Gohan? Is that really you?" she asked the young boy.

"Hi Bulma," Gohan greeted her while flashing the famous son family grin.

 **A/N: And that's the first chapter. I know it might be early since the last time I posted chapters for my fanfics but if I do end up posting this before August, all I can say is that I had some time to kill and I kinda typed fast. I'm sorry if it's a little short and not attention grabbing but I assure you, the story will get better. Just stay tuned and you won't regret it. Send your reviews! TTFN AntiHero out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer - I own nothing**

 **Chapter 2-**

The Lady of the Capsule Corporation stared at the son of Goku with an expression of surprise on her face. Her eyes became watery, which seemed to confuse the Half Saiyans. "Uh Bulma, are you alright?" Gohan inquired. Bulma immediately ran up to the boy and hugged him tightly. Trunks smiled as his mother embraced his best friend's past counterpart.

"I'm fine, Gohan. It's just really great to see you again," Bulma answered. "The last time I saw was three years ago."

"Really? Well, I'm glad you're doing alright. It's nice to see you, too," Gohan said.

After releasing Gohan, Bulma wiped her eyes and asked, "So, what brings you to this timeline? I doubt you just came to visit this old woman."

"Mother, you're not that old," Trunks corrected her. "But you're right; we did come here for a reason."

"Why don't you boys come inside for lunch, and you can tell me all about it," Bulma offered. "I still know how to cook a Saiyan-sized meal and you war machines must be starving." Right on cue, the Demi Saiyans' stomachs growled very loudly, which made Bulma laugh as her son and Gohan blushed. "Just as I thought."

"True. We haven't eaten since we left the hospital," Gohan admitted.

"We could use a good meal before we head out," Trunks agreed.

"Well then, come on in, guys!" Bulma gestured the Saiyans to come inside. Gohan and Trunks followed the head of Capsule Corporation into the house. They seated themselves as they watched Bulma work in the kitchen. She brought out multiple ingredients and cooking materials. As she started making lunch, she turned to the Trunks and asked, "So Trunks, how are your parents and grandparents in the past?"

"Well, grandpa was busy in his lab, grandma was watering the garden, you were spending most of your time taking care my past self, and father was training in the gravity chamber as usual, although I'm pretty sure he's given up fighting," Trunks replied.

"At least the future is peaceful, right?" Bulma questioned. Trunks answered with a nod. "That's good to hear. By the way, Gohan, Trunks told me about what happened at the Cell games. Sorry about what happened to Goku, but I'm glad that to hear that you were able to avenge him and protect the earth in his place."

"Thanks, Bulma, that means a lot to me," Gohan told her thankfully. "I just hope I can uphold his legacy and make him proud."

"Of course you can. Goku has always been proud of you. I know he died cheerfully, without any regret or worry 'cause he was aware that the earth was in good hands. Your hands," Bulma encouraged him. "You just need to ask yourself this: what would Goku do? Our Gohan always did."

"I do that, too. Guess I'm just like my future self," Gohan mused.

"More than you know." Trunks nodded.

"So, why don't you guys tell me what has happened since then and why you've come to this timeline?" Bulma inquired. Gohan and Trunks went on to explain about the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament; that, aside from Goku and Vegeta, all of the Z fighters had entered and in the end Gohan, Trunks, Krillin, and a sumo wrestler were the finalists and were supposed to fight the galactic champions before fighting themselves to determine who will challenge for the title of champion. Unfortunately, Bojack and his gang had interrupted the tournament. All of the Z fighters had tried to fight against the Hera jins and even had a little help from Hercule but were no match, and in the end, Gohan was the last one to stand against them. Although Gohan wasn't able to beat them at first, after Goku temporarily returned to the world of the living to save his son and give him some encouragement, Gohan unleashed his full power and saved the Earth from the space demons, though the credit was given to the fraud Hercule Satan again.

"And you were worried that you weren't good enough to be your father's successor. You're doing just fine as Earth's defender, probably even better than he did," Bulma complimented.

Gohan laughed as he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know about that, but thank you for saying that Bulma." Gohan said honestly.

"No problem, kid. Now, why don't you tell me why you've come to the future with my son?" Bulma asked again.

Trunks decided to answer this one. "Well, while we were recovering at the hospital, Gohan and I realized that if Bojack and his gang hadn't attacked, the two of us would've had to fight for the title of Intergalactic Martial Arts champion. Plus, Gohan said he wanted to see what my timeline was like."

"So you boys made a trip to another timeline just to settle an old score?" Bulma questioned.

Trunks shrugged. "This time period was the only place we could go where no one would disturb us, meaning we can have our sparring match without interruptions," he explained.

"I doubt either of your parents are okay with this," Bulma muttered.

Gohan laughed as he rubbed his head. "We actually left as soon as we were discharged from the hospital so that we could go before they could find out. They probably know we're gone now, and I don't think they're happy," he responded.

"I'm sure they won't be too mad. I mean, they can't really blame you for wanting to fight each other in peace. You are Saiyans; fighting is in your blood," Bulma reasoned.

"Well, someone's gotta uphold our fathers' rivalry since they can't do it anymore," Trunks said.

"I suppose you're right," Bulma sighed. She then placed multiple plates of food on the table. The Saiyans stared at the food hungrily, barely restraining themselves from diving into the feast. "Well, dig in, boys! There's enough food to fill even those bottomless pits you call stomachs, so help yourselves!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Trunks thanked her before digging in.

"Thank you, Bulma." Gohan did the same before he started to eat.

The blue-haired woman smiled as she watched her son and her childhood friend's son stuff their faces. It felt nice to have some company while they were facing these hard times. Even though their ways of eating didn't look very appealing, she still liked seeing the Demi Saiyans enjoying the meal; the last time they had a moment like this was when Trunks was younger and the Gohan from this timeline was still alive. Now, this past Gohan was carrying the same weight of responsibilities as theirs, holding the fate of the entire world in his hands since his father was dead. Her son now carried that very same burden. She stared at the half Saiyans, and her smile grew wider as she watched them relax without worrying about threats to their home. Although she didn't want to admit it, their sparring match would be good for them. It wouldn't be a fight to the death; it would be a fun match between two close friends. This could help build their friendship as well as help her son get over his mentor's death.

"By the way Gohan, you should check out Icarus' cave," Bulma suggested.

Gohan suddenly choked on his food before taking a sip of water. "Wait, Icarus is still alive here?" he inquired.

Bulma's face turned into a frown. "I don't know. We haven't seen him in years ever since you died," Bulma revealed. "But if he is still in his cave, then you should go to him."

"Alright, we'll go as soon as we finish eating," Gohan decided.

"Actually, we need to check out another place first. This place is essential so we need to investigate it while we can, we can go to see Icarus afterwards," Trunks said.

"Okay then," Gohan agreed.

After a few more minutes of chowing down, Gohan and Trunks finally finished their meals. They then left the Capsule Corporation and flew off toward the North City. Trunks was ahead of Gohan, leading him to the place they need to investigate. "Hey, Trunks!" Gohan called to his friend. Trunks looked back at his mentor's past counterpart. "Where exactly are we going?"

"We're going to 's lab," Trunks replied with a hint of disgust.

"Why?" Gohan asked.

"We need to see if it's still active," Trunks started to explain. "Piccolo told us that the Cell we fought was from a timeline parallel to my own, and that the Androids were already dead thanks to my counterpart, which is why he used the time machine to travel to the past where they were still alive. After I defeated 17 and 18 from this time period, Cell showed up just before I decided to visit you guys, which must mean that it wasn't long after Gero's supercomputer had finished working on him." Gohan nodded in understanding as his friend continued to explain. "Although it took 3 years for him to show up, I'm pretty sure the basement laboratory is still there and still functional since Cell mentioned Gero's spy robots were still gathering data."

"So, we're going to see if the basement lab is still active and destroy it?" Gohan clarified.

Trunks nodded. "Exactly. We need to destroy that secondary lab in case it's trying to create more weapons for conquering the world. Good thing I know where the lab is," Trunks stated. He then looked at the son of Goku as a thought entered his mind. "Hey Gohan, why did you want to come to my timeline anyway?"

Gohan's expression shifted to one of guilt as he stared down to see many buildings still in repair and more that were destroyed. "I needed to see what the world would end up like since my father is no longer around to protect it," Gohan confessed.

"If you're thinking your timeline is gonna end up like this one, then you're wrong," Trunks told him pointedly. "Most of the Z fighters are still alive, including my father, so your home still has plenty of warriors to defend it."

"But for how much longer?" Gohan asked. "In your timeline, my father was the first to die, and after him went your father, Vegeta. My dad's rival wasn't even enough to defeat the challenges that were meant for my dad. Neither was my master Piccolo, my partner Krillin, my dad's comrades Tien and Yamcha, and nor was I." Gohan expression grew sadder as he spoke. "You went back in time to save my father. I thought he would always be around to protect the earth, but he still ended up dying thanks to my arrogance. I thought I could make him proud by stepping in for him, but I was wrong."

"You did make him proud. You managed to defeat Cell, the monster your father was unable to beat, and save the earth," Trunks argued.

"Not without help. If my father hadn't encouraged me, and the others hadn't supported me, I probably would've given up," Gohan confessed. "My father would never give up. He had others to support him just like me, but when he ended up being the last one standing, he never backed down!"

"What about Bojack and his gang? You managed to defeat them on your own," Trunks recalled.

Gohan shook his head. "It wasn't on my own. Even though I was supposed to be the strongest, you guys fought alongside me and kept saving me. I was even saved by Mr. Satan, although that was an accident. Not to mention, Bojack came to Earth thanks to my arrogance. When the time came for me to redeem myself and defeat him, I was weak. I was Earth's last hope, and yet my dad had to save me again. I didn't actually save the Earth, my father did through me." Gohan looked away as his hair covered his eyes. "I know things are different from what you said would be our future, but we're going to have to fight enemies without my father like we did in this timeline. If I can't prove myself to be his successor, then our world will end up just like this one."

Trunks saw his friend's dilemma and went over to comfort him. "Your timeline isn't going to end up like mine did. I believe that you can protect the earth in your father's place," he said.

"I'm sure that's just what you said to your mentor before he died," Gohan muttered.

"True, but the only one he had to fight beside him was me," Trunks countered. "After all of his comrades were killed, he spent thirteen years battling those Androids on his own. If he can survive that long, then you can surely protect your home. Plus, you guys are much stronger than your future selves thanks to my trip to the past."

"So are the enemies," Gohan replied. "I might be the strongest now, but there could even greater foes out there that'll prove too strong for me to face alone."

"Then you'll just have to train hard and get stronger. And you won't have to face them alone; you have many heroes ready to fight beside you like Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha," Trunks assured.

"What about Vegeta?" Gohan asked. "He did help at the Cell Games and when we fought Bojack, especially for you."

Trunks thought for a moment before answering. "Whether my father is a hero or not is up for debate. He did help save the world and the universe a few times, but he did seem to have his own motives at the time."

"He has changed a bit, and he's starting to show emotions. He practically one of us now," Gohan reasoned.

"Let's just say he's an Antihero for now. But yeah, he'll be there to fight as well. And when the time is right, my past counterpart will be old enough to join the Z fighters as your pupil once again," Trunks stated. "So don't worry, you've got the power and the team to help you protect the Earth."

"But I 'm not as experienced in fighting as the others. I'm not as stubborn as Vegeta, I'm not as smart as Piccolo, and I don't have the same warrior's honor like the others," Gohan said. "I don't have the will to keep fighting like you do, and I'm not as tough as my dad."

"That's not a problem. I'm sure the others would be more than willing to teach you all that stuff." Trunks replied. "Besides, you did manage to save the world from another threat without most of that stuff."

"I did?"

"Yeah. You stopped Garlic junior when he came to Earth. Although you had some help from Piccolo and Krillin, it was you who destroyed the spice gang, defeated Garlic Jr., blew up his source of power, the Makyo Star, and banished him back into the dead zone," Trunks reminded the boy. "You did all that, and Goku wasn't there at all."

"Piccolo said that he was, just inside of me," Gohan replied.

"He still is inside of you. You've saved the world in the end before, and you can do it again. That's why Goku wasn't worried about leaving the task to you," Trunks said as he put his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Don't doubt yourself, just do what you've always done, fight for what's right."

"But what if that's not enough?" Gohan questioned. "What if I 'm not strong enough? How can I possibly lead a team of fighters to protect the Earth? How am I supposed to be a hero like my dad?"

"Just remember that you have everyone's support and don't stop asking what your father would do," Trunks advised him. "That will be your driving force."

Gohan smiled as he felt much better. "Thanks, Trunks. I won't let you guys down," he promised.

"You'd better not. Now let's find that laboratory." Trunks flew off at high speed.

"Hey, wait for me!" Gohan called as he zoomed after him. After a little while, the two Demi Saiyans made it to the North City; they soared above the town before stopping in the mountains. Eventually, they landed and started looking around for Gero's basement laboratory. "Is Gero's second lab supposed to be around here?" Gohan inquired.

"Yes, this spot is similar to where Krillin and I found the basement lab. It should be around here somewhere; try to find a hole in the ground," Trunks instructed.

The two Saiyans searched through the rubble to find the underground lab; eventually, Gohan blew away a pile of rocks and stumbled upon a dark hole with a ladder in it. "Hey Trunks, I think I found it!" Gohan yelled. The lavender-haired Saiyan went over to where his friend was and saw the entrance to the subterranean chamber. "Is this is?" Gohan asked.

"Yes Gohan, this is it," Trunks confirmed.

Gohan and Trunks entered the tunnel and slowly descended through the dark into the lab. They soon landed on the ground and faced Dr. Gero's supercomputer. All around them were capsules, some open and some closed. There was also a big screen that was playing multiple videos of the Z fighters battling against numerous villains and an empty incubator. "So this is the lab where Cell was created huh?" Gohan questioned.

"Yeah, it looks just like the one Krillin and I destroyed in the past." Trunks answered.

"Then that means this is the supercomputer that collected our DNA along with studying our fighting styles and used them to manufacture that overgrown grasshopper," Gohan speculated as he stared at a strange machine that had multiple arms.

"Yep, that's it," Trunks confirmed. "Look at this, these capsules are empty. Must be for the Androids that were disposed of."

Gohan stumbled across a closed capsule that was marked 16. His eyes widened as he made a quick decision; he pressed the button on the case, making it disappear in a puff of smoke and turn into a Dyno cap. Gohan picked it up and pocketed it before Trunks could see it. He then noticed a couple of blueprints on a table and walked over to them. He looked through them until he stopped at one that was marked 16; he folded it and put it away. He then joined Trunks, who was still looking for anything that was still active in the laboratory. "How's it going?" he asked.

"Everything's completely shut down. The computer, the power, even the spy drones used to collect data have been deactivated. I guess after Cell was released, there wasn't any need for the lab to be used anymore," Trunks responded before he questioned, "Did you find anything worth destroying?"

Gohan quickly shook his head. "Nope! Nothing active or dangerous! Just empty machine cases and a few blueprints on some old Androids," he replied.

"Alright then, if there's nothing else worth investigating, let's blow this place!" Trunks ordered. The son of Goku nodded, and the two Saiyans began firing energy blasts everywhere; one by one, the lab's essentials were obliterated. The computer that finished making Cell was toast, the capsules were blasted to bits, and the whole place was incinerated. Gohan and Trunks then flew out of the subterranean chamber; the Saiyan prince charged up one more Ki blast as he shouted, "Now to finish the job!" He fired his energy attack at the entrance of the underground lab; it exploded immediately, and the two warriors flew off to exit the North City.

"Was the last blast really necessary?" Gohan inquired.

"Just trying to make sure that there's nothing left; can't be too careful!" Trunks answered.

"Now, time to visit my good friend, Icarus!" Gohan said cheerfully.

The two Saiyan hybrids soared through the sky toward a forest in the eastern district; they spotted a large cave in the mountains and descended toward the entrance. They slowly walked into the dark cavern, with Trunks lighting his hand with his Ki to light the way inside. The half-breeds ventured through the darkness until they stumbled upon a small stool and a nest of grass, but no dragon. Gohan's head slumped in depression; Trunks put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "It doesn't seem like there's anything here. Are you sure this is Icarus' cave, Gohan?" Trunks asked.

"Yeah, my dad set up this cave for Icarus to live in since my mom didn't want him staying with us," Gohan explained. "I used to come here every chance I got to play with him; I even snuck out a few times."

"Is it possible that the Androids came here and killed him, too?" Trunks questioned.

"No way! My father and I were the only ones who knew the cave's location aside from Icarus!" Gohan argued.

"Gohan, we know that Dr. Gero has been spying on us since Goku defeated the Red Ribbon Army. It's possible that his spy drones watched Goku make this home for Icarus, and the Androids are ruthless killing machines; I doubt they would spare any creature," Trunks said.

Gohan grew sadder as he thought that Trunks might've been right, but then he noticed something casting a shadow in the light, coming up behind them. The creature crept closer to the two until it was right behind them. "Trunks, look out!" Gohan cried, but his warning came a little too late as he was slammed into the cave wall. Gohan turned around as the attacker reared over him and roared; its giant wings spread out before it rammed Gohan into the side of the cavern. It backed away before charging at Gohan again; the son of Goku quickly jumped to the side. Trunks got up and fired non-lethal Ki blasts at the beast, but it dodged the attacks by flying swiftly. It then rushed at Trunks with its horns ready; the son of Vegeta grabbed the horns and pushed the creature back with his superior strength. Gohan prepared to fire a non-lethal energy blast at the beast when the light from his hand shined on his target, allowing him to get a good look at it.

"Trunks, wait! Let him go for a second!" Gohan shouted. His friend complied and released the winged creature; it turned to Gohan and pounced at him before growling. "Icarus, is that you? It's me, Gohan!" the boy spoke to his old friend. The creature that was Icarus growled again and lunged at Gohan to bite him, but then it stopped and sniffed him. He looked at Gohan with his big eyes as if he couldn't believe that he was here. "It's me, Icarus, do you remember me?" Gohan asked. Icarus then started licking Gohan's face numerous times, making the boy laugh. "Ok, ok! It's good to see you too buddy, now please let me up!" Gohan said enthusiastically.

The dragon got off his friend and stood on its back legs while Gohan stood up and petted Icarus. "Wow, Icarus! You've gotten bigger!" Gohan stated. Inspecting his dragon, he could see that he was slightly bigger than his past counterpart, his wings were larger and fit to carry his body, and his tail was longer. Other than that, he was still the same beast he knew. Trunks then approached them. "So, this is your pet dragon, Icarus?" Trunks inquired. Icarus growled at Trunks, but Gohan quickly calmed him down. "It's ok, Icarus, this is Trunks. He's a friend, Bulma's son," Gohan told him before turning to Trunks and saying, "Trunks, Icarus is not my pet, he's my friend."

"Got it. Sorry, Icarus, nice to meet you," Trunks greeted the reptile. Icarus sniffed Trunks before licking him too.

Gohan smiled at this. "Ok boy, Trunks and I have something to take care of, but I'll be back to play with you later," Gohan told the dragon. "Come, Trunks, let's go." The two Saiyans went to leave the cave when Icarus pulled on Gohan's cape to stop them. "What is it, boy?" Gohan asked the dragon.

"I think he wants to come with us," Trunks guessed, which made Icarus wag his tail happily.

"Alright Icarus, you can come with us," Gohan allowed. Icarus picked up Gohan and tossed him onto his back. "Whoa, guess you wanna give a free ride, huh?" The three flew out of the cave and made their way toward a luscious valley full of trees, lots of grass, and a flowing stream. They descended toward the ground and Gohan hopped off his dragon and told him, "You'd better get out of the way, Icarus. Trunks and I have a score to settle." Icarus obeyed and flew to the side, giving Gohan and Trunks space to have their sparring match.

The two Demi Saiyans stared at each other as the wind blew around them; they smirked as the anticipation between them began to build up. "You probably already knew this, but I've always wanted to spar with you since the day I met you," Gohan revealed.

"The feeling's mutual. I've always sparred against your future counterpart and lost every time. After he died, I didn't think I'd ever get a chance to beat him in a match. But defeating you will be just as good since you are him," Trunks replied.

"I'll try not to disappoint you, and I won't hold back!" Gohan assured.

"That's good to hear, 'cause I won't be holding back either!" Trunks exclaimed. "So what are we waiting for? Let's do this!"

"You got it!" Gohan said as he took a fighting stance; Trunks did the same, declaring that their sparring match has now begun. For a moment, neither fighter made an attempt to move, but then Gohan inquired, "Do you mind if I start us off?" "Be my guest!" Trunks answered. Gohan then flew at Trunks and swung his right leg at him; the older Saiyan blocked it with his arm and tried to punch his opponent. Gohan dodged the strike and flew upward, so Trunks flew after him and threw a Ki blast at him. Gohan easily deflected it but was left open to Trunks' next attack. The Saiyan teen appeared behind his mentor's counterpart, and roundhouse kicked him. Gohan started plummeting to the ground before backflipping and propelling himself back at his sparring partner.

Gohan punched Trunks in the right cheek; he shook it off and threw a punch at Gohan. The boy blocked his fist, and the two began trading blows. Trunks punched Gohan's face, and the boy countered by kicking his. The two continued to throw strikes until they separated from each other. Gohan launched a blast before rushing to attack Trunks; the Saiyan prince dodged it and blocked Gohan's assault. Trunks then struck Gohan with multiple blows and elbow bashed him downward, yet Gohan landed on all fours and flew to the right. Trunks flew after the monkey prince; Gohan sensed Trunks behind him and back flipped over him before jumping at him and kicking him in the face numerous times.

Trunks quickly recovered and fired a blast at Gohan, who fired a blast at him. Both blasts hit their targets, and the two descended to the ground showing no sign of pain or fatigue from their fight. The Saiyan sons smiled at each other as their Saiyan blood boiled in excitement. "Looks like we're evenly matched in our base forms," Gohan stated.

"Then I guess it's time to kick things up a notch!" Trunks suggested.

"That was a nice warm-up..." Gohan began.

"But now it's time to get serious!" Trunks finished.

The two Saiyan cried out as they raised their power levels. The environment around them began to quake while multiples streams of gold light shot out of the earth. The half Saiyans' muscles began to expand, their eyes turned teal, and their hair turned spiky gold as they channeled a fiery gold aura. The two Super Saiyans grew more excited as they prepared to resume their match. "You've gotten stronger since our fight against Bojack," Gohan stated.

"So have you. Of course, this will only be a fair fight if you refrain from going Super Saiyan 2," Trunks commented.

"Who says I'll need it to beat you?" Gohan asked mockingly.

Trunks raised an eyebrow at that question. "So you truly believe you can defeat me in your current state? Then I guess I'll just have to force you to go full strength!"

"Let's see you try!" Gohan challenged him.

"With pleasure!" Trunks replied.

(A/N: This fight scene will be similar to Majin Vegeta vs. SSJ2 Goku.)

The Super Saiyans stared at each other anxiously as they waited for the other to make the first move. After a full minute, Trunks let out a battle cry and charged at Gohan. He threw multiple punches at the boy; Gohan dodged the first two and blocked the rest. Trunks continued to throw a series of punches before kneeing Gohan in the gut and elbow bashing him to the ground. The Son of Goku landed on his hands and knees; he looked up in time to see the Son of Vegeta descending on him and quickly flew back up to dodge, causing Trunks to sink into the ground upon impact. The older Saiyan jumped out of the field and tried to kick his fellow warrior. Gohan blocked his attack with his knee, and the two pushed against each other while releasing sparks of energy.

"Please tell this isn't all you've got. Otherwise, you'll have to jump to your second state real soon!" Trunks mocked.

"Heh! I'm just getting started!" Gohan assured.

The two opponents broke apart and threw a fist at each other; they grabbed their fists and started kicking at themselves while moving in mid-air. Trunks finally ended their struggle by headbutting Gohan in the face, making him back away. Trunks then began rapidly punching the black-haired Saiyan, until Gohan eventually caught Trunks' fists and kicked the lavender-haired in the chin twice before kicking him into the side of the valley. Trunks stayed there for a moment as Gohan approached him. "That's more like it!" the prince grunted before freeing himself. The Saiyans slowly floated closer to each other until they were face to face; their auras suddenly mixed together as they both smiled thrillingly. With a mighty yell, the fighters' energy exploded, and they began trading blows. Their battle took a pause when the two Super Saiyans punched each other in the face.

Neither moved as it seemed they were too shocked from what just happened, but Trunks quickly recovered and commenced his multiple fist barrage on Gohan. He then kicked Gohan in the back before kneeing him in the chest and finishing with an elbow back to the head. Gohan shook it off and countered by punching Trunks in the face. His assault didn't end there as he skull bashed his opponent before throwing multiple punches at him. The younger Saiyan was on the offensive as Trunks was blocking every strike. Gohan ultimately switched to his feet as he kicked Trunks in the stomach. He prepared to strike again with his fist, but Trunks quickly disappeared and reappeared behind him. The time traveler leveled his hands at the boy and yelled, **"Take this, Burning Attack!"** He fired a powerful blast at Gohan's chest, sending him hurtling toward the valley forest.

Gohan crashed into the trees and was buried under a pile of wood. Trunks waited patiently for his friend to come back so that their fight could resume. At first, there was no movement in the forest for some time, but then the pile of lumber started to levitate, revealing a smirking Gohan holding his hands above his head. Trunks gasped as he saw the boy channel Ki into his palms and quickly reacted by doing the same.

"Masenko…Ha!" Gohan shouted.

"Masenko…Ha!" Trunks cried.

Two beams of energy charged at each other diagonally; they crashed, creating a giant sphere of Ki with two lines sticking out from each half. Trunks struggled to hold his place as Gohan pushed forward and moved closer to the Ki sphere; the two Saiyans were then at each half of the blast battle trying to overpower the other. "Sorry…Gohan…but you're not going to beat me today!" Trunks proclaimed as he poured more energy in his blast. "We'll see…about that, Trunks!" Gohan said back as he let out more Ki. The Demon Flash orb began to grow larger as it was fueled with more Ki. Both Saiyans continued to put more power into their attacks, causing the sphere to expand until it eventually detonated from all that power. The explosion blew both fighters backward; they stopped themselves in mid-air and charged back at each other. They clashed and were once again locked in combat.

As the fight progressed, both Saiyans smiled in response to the exhilaration they were getting from their match. Trunks threw multiple kicks at Gohan; the ox prince blocked them before throwing his own kicks. The two then grabbed onto each other's shoulders as they kicked at each other. They separated once again and started beating on themselves. Trunks punched Gohan in the right cheek, sending him flying. The Saiyan prince flew after him to strike again, but he recovered in time to hit his opponent back. The two began pummeling themselves once more before they stopped and descended toward the earth.

"So, you've still got plenty of fight left?" Trunks questioned.

"Yeah, you too, I'm guessing," Gohan replied.

"I'm impressed. I didn't think you'd last this long without going to the second state!" Trunks admitted.

"And I didn't think you'd be this much of a challenge! I'm almost tempted to use it!" Gohan confessed. "You really have improved since the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament!"

"Guess I'll just have to keep pushing you!" Trunks declared. He suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind Gohan, attempting to hand-chop him, but Gohan quickly ducked and back kicked him away. Trunks skidded across the ground before stopping himself and firing a beam at the younger Saiyan. Gohan jumped away and the blast hit a mountain, reducing it to rubble. The two plunged into the smoke and resumed pounding each other. After Gohan palm struck the time traveler, Trunks gave him a right hook and went on the offensive. Gohan managed to escape him and took to the skies. Trunks followed him and started firing multiple Ki blasts. Gohan dodged all of them before he realized that they were positioned all around, preventing him from going anywhere. "This should get you to go all out!" Trunks shouted as he brought his hands together. **"Hellzone Grenade!"**

" **Energy Shield!"** Gohan yelled as he engulfed himself in a blue Ki barrier. The blasts crashed into the shield, creating a massive discharge of energy. When it was over, Gohan lowered his force field and scanned the area for his missing opponent. When he sensed his comrade above him, he quickly looked up to see Trunks coming down on him with his sword drawn. Acting fast, Gohan reached behind his back and brought out his father's power pole; he held it up horizontally and used it to blocked Trunks' strike. The clash between the weapons powered by Super Saiyan energy caused a massive shockwave around the valley. Neither one moved for a moment until both Saiyans parted. "Is that Goku's power pole?" Trunks inquired.

"Yeah, Piccolo gave it to me. He said it was no longer needed to help people get to Kami's lookout since we could just fly or use aircrafts to do that," Gohan elucidated before he raised an eyebrow suspiciously at Trunks. "Don't you think that your last attack was a bit extreme? You could've cut me in half like you did Frieza!"

"You were supposed to go Super Saiyan 2 to counter my strike; I didn't think you had a weapon as well!" Trunks defended himself. "I told you that I would get you to use your full power, and you're just not there yet!"

"I guess you'll just have to keep trying!" Gohan said.

"Trust me, I will!" Trunks assured as he flew at Gohan with his blade ready. The son of Goku held out his staff and yelled, "Power pole extend!" His father's weapon glowed red before growing in length. Trunks swung his sword at Gohan, and he blocked it with his staff. The two then continued to strike and block each other with their weapons. Gohan then extended the Power pole even more, causing it to hit Trunks' blade that was turned horizontally and pushed him back a few feet. When he stopped, Trunks channeled his Ki into his sword and swung it at the younger Saiyan to fire a curved energy blast. Gohan began rotating the pole rapidly and deflected the attack. Trunks proceeded to launch Ki blasts and his sparring partner blocked them by spinning his staff. Gohan's constant deflecting of the energy attacks created a cloud of smoke around him; his staff was suddenly knocked out of his hands by Trunks' sword, and he was kicked downward by the Saiyan prince. As he fell, he quickly turned to see Trunks diving after him; he put his hands forward and yelled, **"Rapid Fire!"** nailing Trunks with multiple energy blasts.

The two Saiyans landed on the ground and caught their respective weapons. Gohan and Trunks then charged up their right and left fists respectively with energy. The fighters charged at each other and roared as they threw their super punches at each other; their fists clashed, leading to an eruption that blew them both backward. When they stopped, they took heavy breaths; their bodies were covered in bruises from head to toe. Gohan had blood leaking from his mouth and his forehead while Trunks had blood spilling from above and below his left eye and his right cheek. "Unbelievable! I knew you had trained to improve since the Cell games, but I didn't think you had caught up to me that fast! You've really pushed yourself to your limits and beyond!" Gohan commended his friend. "But don't you think you're taking this fight a little too seriously?"

"I told you that I never had the chance to beat your future counterpart, and one thing that you and he shared was your latent power!" Trunks answered. "But I've finally surpassed him, you're just all that's standing in my way of knowing that I could've beaten him if he lived long enough! But if I can't get you to go all out, how can be sure I would've ever stood a chance against him? So yes, if it seems that I'm taking this too personally, it's because I am!"

"Well, it's personal for me, too! Like me, you're also the half-breed son of a great Saiyan warrior, a Super Saiyan, a fighter, and the sole protector of your own world! But unlike me, all of your allies are dead, meaning you've got a lot of training to do if you wanna stand a chance against future threats, as do I! If I defeat you as we are now, how will I know that I'll be able to get strong enough in case my world turns out like this one? I don't want to fail like my future self did!" Gohan said.

"I guess we'll get our answers once we determine the winner of this fight!" Trunks declared as he powered up and Gohan did the same. They rushed at each other once again and started skull bashing each other. "I think it's time we end this battle; neither of us has the strength to continue for much longer!" Gohan stated.

"Fine by me! Let's end this!" Trunks exclaimed.

The two Super Saiyan broke apart and took fighting stances; Gohan brought his hands to his side and started chanting, **"Ka…me…ha…me…"** as he focused his Ki into his hands. Trunks brought his hands forward and formed a gold energy sphere in his palms. **"Final…Flash!"** he screamed as he fired the golden beam of devastation. **"Ha!"** Gohan shouted as he unleashed the destructive turtle shockwave. The energy attacks collided, creating a star of Ki that was being pushed from two sides. The Demi Saiyans struggled to overpower the other in this final beam struggle to end their fight. As they continued to fuel their attacks with energy, the Ki star moved back and forth only a little each time. Before the battle could get any more intense, another energy blast crashed into the beam collision, setting it off to explode and causing the two Saiyans to be blown backward by the shockwave. The erosion created a giant crater in the ground that was very deep. Gohan and Trunks were lying on the ground by the trench they created before they slowly stood up.

"Gohan, are you alright?!" Trunks asked.

"Yeah, I'm good!" Gohan replied. He then looked around for the intruder. "Who shot that energy blast? I didn't sense anyone!"

"Neither did I!" Trunks said before yelling, "Who's there?! We know you're here! Come out so we can see you!

"Well boy, I don't think you're in any posistion to give orders! But if you're in such a rush to die, then we'll be happy to oblige!" called a voice from above. The Saiyans looked up to see a battlion of seven men flying above their heads. The first one looked like a fatter version of the terminator's human disguise. The second one was an elderly man with laser red eyes, a pointed nose, a small thin mustache, with his black hair in a ponytail. The third one was even older with white hair sticking out from a crane hat and wearing sunglasses. The 2nd and 3rd men both wore a chang pao. The first three seemed unfamiliar to the Demi Saiyans; however, the last four men they knew too well.

"Thirteen, Fourteen, and Fifteen?!" Trunks exclaimed in shock.

"And is that Android Nineteen?!" Gohan said, stunned, before his eyes wandered back to the first three men. "Wait a minute, I know the man with the pony tail! He's the Mercenary Tao!"

"The former number one Assassin?!" Trunks asked.

"Former?! I'm still the world's greatest killer, boy!" Tao stated.

"Who are the other two?" Gohan questioned.

"I…am…Major Metallitron!" said the terminator.

"And I am Shen, the Crane master and Mercenary Tao's older brother!" Shen introduced himself.

"Crane master? You're the master of the Crane style Martial Arts school! You were Tien and Chiaotzu's master!" Gohan recalled.

"Ha! Don't speak those failures' names in my presence, boy! I'm actually glad that they're dead; they were complete embarrassments!" Shen said mockingly, which made Gohan and Trunks glare at him.

"What are you doing here?! If you've come looking for a fight, you've caught us at a bad time!" Trunks yelled.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, boys, but you have something that we need!" Thirteen spoke.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Gohan asked.

"The time machine!" Thirteen answered.

The Saiyans stared at the men with surprised looks; they glanced back at each other, hoping for an explanation, before turning back to their enemies for answers. "How do you know about the time machine?! And why do you want it?!" Trunks questioned.

"The spy drones are pretty good at what they do without being detected," said a voice from above them. "As for the use of the time machine, let's just say it is essential to our plans for the future." The Saiyans looked up to see someone they didn't think they would see again; a wrinkly old man with long white hair and a white mustache wearing weird clothing and a hat that bore the Red Ribbon insignia. His eyes were pupiless and his skin was darker and shinier, but aside from that, he looked exactly like the late Dr. Gero.

"No, it can't be… Dr. Gero?!" Gohan asked.

"But he's supposed to be dead!" Trunks exclaimed.

The man that just descended laughed at the half breeds' confusion before saying, "I assure you, I'm not Dr. Gero. He died a long time ago. I am his Robotic successor, Android number Zero, or as I prefer to be called, Dr. Zero!"

 **A/N: Whoa! Plot twist alert! Now I'm just starting this fanfic, so it may take some time before things get really interesting, but I assure you this will be a great fanfic to read. Thanks to all those who have supported me in the first chapter, hope you like this one! TTFN AntiHero out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm back, with another exciting chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army!** **It may seem like I'm rushing with the chapters, but the fact is that I'm also working on other fanfics, which I'm pretty some of you are aware of, and I find it difficult to focus on one sometimes because new ideas are continually entering my head for each story, so if I don't get them down fast, there's a chance I might forget them.** **But enough about that, thanks to my reviewers and hope you like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer - I own nothing**

"I am Android number Zero, but you can call me Dr. Zero!" the Android introduced himself.

The Saiyans stared at the new Android with wide eyes. Needless to say, they were more surprised than disbelieving. "A-Android number Zero?" Gohan stammered.

"Impossible! We have Intel that there have only been 20 Androids total, the twentieth being Dr. Gero himself, and if you count the Bio-Android Cell, that makes 21! There's never been any more Androids than that, let alone an Android 0!" Trunks argued.

Dr. Zero chuckled at Trunks' reasoning. "True, Gero only created 21 Androids, and some were completed and improved by the supercomputer, but I was the only one aside from Cell that was created by the computer from start to finish," Zero explained. "In fact, I'm actually the Artificial Intelligence that belonged to the supercomputer."

"What?" the Saiyans cried.

"That's right. After the son of Vegeta here destroyed Cell before he could travel back to the past, I knew that it was only a matter of time before you came to the basement laboratory and wiped it out," Zero revealed. "I spent the last few months creating an Android duplicate body of Dr. Gero and transferred my own consciousness into it. Once the underground chamber was destroyed, my body was activated, which meant you came back to this timeline, Trunks."

"What about the rest of these guys? Where did they come from?!" Gohan questioned.

"You already seem to know the mercenary Tao child, which means you met him in the past," Zero deduced. "In fact, according to my sensors, you're Goku's son, Gohan. That means you're from the timeline that Trunks journeyed to. And if you know Tao, then you should know that this is him from this timeline."

"What about the others?! How are 13, 14, 15, and 19 here?!" Trunks inquired.

"Dr. Gero had already created us before he built 17 and 18, we were just put aside since we weren't strong enough to face Goku or his friends," 13 answered. "You must've already defeated our past selves since you know who we are, boy."

"I was created after Zero's body was built. The Supercomputer spent its time completing us and recruiting Master Shen, Tao, and even improving Major Metallitron, all of which were fighters that fought Goku and lost," 19 replied. "Shen was given cybernetics, and everyone else was upgraded to compete with the Super Saiyan state."

"Ha! If none of you could defeat Goku before he became a Super Saiyan, what makes you think you stand a chance at defeating us?!" Trunks asked.

"Trust me, boy, we know that we stand very little chance against the two of you, especially if both of you were stronger than Cell," Zero admitted. "However, our objective is not to fight you two till our deaths, it's to acquire your time machine."

"What could you possibly need the time machine for?!" Gohan inquired.

"It is very essential to our quest for world domination," Zero divulged. "An entire army of the best soldiers were no match for the power of one super strong alien warrior, a small battalion of fighting machines was still defeated by another alien fighter and his comrades, and the Bio-Android was defeated as well. Even though Commander Red and Dr. Gero are dead, their dream of conquering the earth still lives as long as someone is willing to follow it."

"What are you getting at?!" Trunks questioned.

"You've seen how much destruction 17 and 18 were able to cause with their power; imagine what would happen if the entire Red Ribbon Army had been like that from the start," Tao spoke up. Gohan and Trunks' eyes grew wide when they realized what the world would be like if there were more Androids than just those two. "Picture it: an entire legion of Androids, Bio warriors, and Cyborgs. Not even the Z Fighters of the past could save the earth from that kind of force."

"I believe you're both aware that Frieza was capable of conquering numerous planets with his soldiers of the Planet Trade Organization, as were his father and brother," Shen said. "If the Red Ribbon could produce fighters like that, it wouldn't be long before the earth, or even the universe was under our tyranny."

"Even if you could create an army of super soldiers, there aren't enough members of the Red Ribbon left alive for that," Gohan pointed out.

"What do you think we need the time machine for?" 15 asked.

The Super Saiyans' faces turned to one of shock and realization. "A-Are you saying that you want to use the time machine to somehow rebuild the Red Ribbon Army?!" Trunks shouted.

"You're as smart as your mother and grandfather, Trunks Briefs. Too bad they decided to waste their talents by opposing our organization. To answer your question, yes, we plan to recreate the Red Ribbon in the image of super soldiers," Zero answered. "With an entire army of the world's greatest Martial Artists, Military officers, Assassins, geniuses, psychics, and beings with extraordinary capabilities and Ki manipulation, all powered by cyber enhancements, the Red Ribbon will be unstoppable!"

"Not even Goku would be able to stand a chance against an army like that!" Tao said nefariously.

"There's no way we'll let you achieve that goal with the time machine!" Gohan told them.

"You have your father's spirit, Son Gohan; however, you and your friend are injured from your little sparring match. Your energies have reduced while my comrades are fresh and immune to pain as well as fatigue. Their energies are infinite; you stand little chance against us in a fight, so do the just thing, and surrender the time machine to us!" Zero ordered.

"If you want the time machine…" Trunks declared as he and Gohan took fighting stances. "You'll have to take from our dead bodies!"

"Saiyans are such a stubborn species, but if that is what you wish…" Zero sighed before he addressed his followers. "Kill them if you must, just make sure you get that time machine!"

All of the androids aside from Dr. Zero immediately charged at the Demi Saiyans. 13, 14, and 15 attacked Trunks while Major Metallitron, Mercenary Tao, Master Shen, and Android 19 went after Gohan. The son of Goku dodged a grapple attack from 19 since he was aware of his absorption abilities. _"19 can absorb Ki through his hands. Energy attacks are a no go, and I need to avoid him grabbing me,"_ Gohan thought as he blocked 19's assault; he then grabbed the large robot and tossed it away. He aimed his hand at it and cried, "Haah!" unleashing a kiai that blew 19 into a large rock; it crumbled immediately after he crashed into it. "Absorb that, android!" Gohan said mockingly.

"Eyes forward, monkey brat!" Shen yelled as he appeared in front of Gohan; before the boy could react, the crane master uppercut him in the chin. The boy was sent flying upward before he caught himself in mid-air; Gohan rubbed his chin as he stared at Shen.

" _He's a lot stronger than I thought; his cybernetics must have boosted his skills to our level. Plus, since he's a fighter like Tien, he's even more dangerous than 17 and 18 were,"_ Gohan thought. He then noticed something coming up from behind him; he turned around to see Tao descending toward him with his blade hand. Gohan quickly clamped his hands together and caught the sword before it could reach him. The two separated and Tao swung his sword at Gohan again; the black-haired Saiyan brought his power pole out and blocked the attack. The immortal Mercenary repeatedly slashed at Goku's son, who intercepted every one with his father's staff.

"You remind me so much of your father. I could never cut him with my sword either," Tao commented. "However, you're still not strong to defeat me!"

"Wanna bet?!" Gohan said as he kicked the Mercenary away. He then prepared to jab him with the power pole before he noticed a missile coming at him and dodged it. He looked down to see Major Metallitron with his mouth open; another rocket escaped the android's mouth and flew toward the Saiyan. Gohan swatted it back at the launcher with the power pole, and it crashed at the Terminator's feet and blew him backward.

"Not bad, kid, but try this!" Metallitron declared. He leveled his fists at the boy before firing them like rockets, yet Gohan just swung the staff like a baseball bat and sent the rocket fists back at the Android.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Gohan shouted.

"Don't get too cocky, boy!" Shen cried. The crane brothers both had their hands pointed at Gohan; they focused Ki into their fingers and shouted, **"Double Dodon Ray!"** as they fired two beams that fused into one superheated attack that flew toward their target. Gohan quickly tossed the power pole upward and placed his hands forward; the blast collided with his palms and pushed against his skin. Gohan gritted his teeth, and he struggled with the beam before finally deflecting it upward. The half Saiyan then started blowing at his now singed palms, attempting to cool them down. "Man that stung!" Gohan exclaimed before shaking it off and catching his staff. Android 19 suddenly jumped up and fired a blast at the monkey prince; Gohan simply extended the power pole and span it rapidly, blocking the attack. The explosion, however, created a cloud of smoke that surrounded Gohan, limiting his vision. Tao suddenly phased behind the half-breed and jabbed his arm that held the magic weapon. Gohan grunted as his left arm went numb and the power pole fell from his hand. _"My arm, I can't feel it anymore,"_ Gohan thought before he said out loud, "So, you can use pressure points, huh?"

"That's right boy! I wonder if you can fight with one arm as well as your future self-did before he died," Tao taunted.

"Why don't you see for yourself!" Gohan yelled as he roundhouse kicked the assassin in the face. He soon found himself surrounded by all four of the machines he was battling; they charged at him as he held up his one arm to defend. He evaded all of their strikes simultaneously; Gohan then grabbed Shen's wrist and slammed him into the Mercenary Tao. He blocked a punch from Metallitron and sent him plummeting toward the ground with an invisible eye blast. Gohan proceeded to dodge 19's attempts to grab him and elbow bashed him. "You're so focused on draining my energy that you're barely attacking me," Gohan noted. "You should be more offensive!"

"Shut up, brat!" 19 cried in outrage as he rushed at Gohan again. The chubby android resumed trying to get a hold of the Saiyan hybrid, who easily dodged him. 19 finally decided to take Gohan's advice when he fired eye beams at him, but Gohan ducked under the attack and punched 19 in the gut twice. The Android showed no sign of harm as he smirked and hand chopped the Saiyan. "Oh yeah, I forgot machines don't feel pain," Gohan recalled as he cracked his neck to recover from the blow. He then resumed battling 19, still incapable of using his left arm.

With the Saiyan prince, he blocked a punch from Android 14 and started trading blows with him. "You know, I defeated the Android 14 from the past," Trunks stated. "I'm going to enjoy cutting you in half a second time!" He then kicked 14 away and pulled out his sword; he rushed at the mechanical man, intending to slice him when he was intercepted by an energy blast. Trunks looked over to his right and saw 13 extending his hand to him while 15 stood beside him. "Hold your horses there, boy, he's not the only one you're fighting!" 13 said as he charged at the time traveler. Trunks sheathed his blade and took a fighting position; he then ducked a kick from the Android and uppercut him before blasting him into a cliff. 14 appeared behind the Saiyan and brought both his hands down, yet Trunks caught his hands and tossed him into the same cliff he knocked 13 into. 15 advanced on the time traveler and started throwing multiple punches at him. "I can't believe you were a challenge to my father; you're just a midget!" Trunks said. He grabbed 15's arm and slammed him into the dirt.

13 and 14 stood up and saw Trunks besting their comrade; they looked at each other and nodded before charging at the Saiyan prince. Trunks saw them coming and braced himself for combat; the two fighting machines threw multiple strikes at the Demi Saiyan, which he managed to block. He eventually grabbed both of their fists with his hands. However, this left him open, and so he took a direct punch from 13 before being restrained by 14. "Now, number 15!" 13 ordered. The tiny android flew right at Trunks with his fist reared back; the lone warrior closed his eyes as he waited for a devastating blow to the head, but it never came. He opened his eyes to see the little man reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out something: his case of capsules. "I'll be taking this," 15 said before he tossed it to Dr. Zero. "Heads up, doc!"

The lead android caught the case and opened it to look for the time machine capsule. "Sorry boy, you were expecting to get punched?" 13 asked mockingly. "Well, I'd be happy to give you what you want!" The mechanical man started rapidly punching the Saiyan teen in the face. While taking serious blows, Trunks managed to see Android 0 pulling out one of his capsules before tossing the case aside. "Ah, this is the one," Zero said as he examined the dyno-cap; he pressed the button and released the capsule, and the time machine appeared in a puff of smoke. "Truly magnificent, not even Dr. Gero was capable of creating something this impressive. And now, it will be the key to achieving world domination!" Zero opened the glass covering and hopped inside the pod.

Seeing Zero enter the time machine, Trunks started to raise his Ki until it exploded and forced 14 to let go of him. He then charged his fist with Ki and punched 13, his fist going right through his abdomen. The android backed away as Trunks brought his hands to his side. **"Take this! Galick** **Gun, fire** **!"** he cried as he fired a purple laser at the machine, sending him flying. 14 tried to punch Trunks from behind, but the Saiyan quickly roundhouse kicked him in the head before grabbing his wrist and hand chopping it off. 15 tried to attack, but his head was elbow bashed off by the son of Vegeta. Trunks then looked over and saw Gohan being ganged up on by 19 and Metallitron; the Terminator grabbed the ox prince's head and slammed him into the ground before holding him up for his comrade. "Hehe, your delicious energy is mine, boy!" 19 chuckled as he grabbed Gohan's neck. The Saiyan child gasped as he felt his life force being drained out of him, slowly and painfully.

"Gohan!" Trunks cried as he pulled out his brave sword. The swordsman dashed at the fat android and swung his blade, cutting off Android 19's hand that held Gohan in the process. 19 flinched in shock, allowing Gohan to kick him away; he then blasted Metallitron in the face before grabbing his head and slamming him into the ground. "You ok?" Trunks asked him.

"Been better, but I'll be fine," Gohan replied.

The Saiyans the noticed Dr. Zero pressing buttons to set the course of the time machine while the Androids got up and regrouped. "We're running out of time, we've got to stop him now!" Trunks warned his friend. Gohan's face held a look of determination as did Trunks'. The son of Goku's left arm started twitching before he clenched his fist. _"Looks like my arm got its feeling back,"_ the half Saiyan thought. _"Good, 'cause now it's time to get_ _serious_ _!"_ Gohan let out a mighty yell as he powered up to Super Saiyan 2. It was so powerful that Dr. Zero temporally stopped what he was doing to scan the boy's power. "Incredible, his energy has increased dramatically," he muttered. The Androids braced themselves as they observed Gohan's new form.

"Hey! It took these guys to get you to transform?" Trunks complained. "I'm insulted."

"Don't feel bad, I'm sure you would've forced me to transform eventually if our battle wasn't interrupted," Gohan tried to comfort his partner. "Now, are you ready to fight?"

"Let's take out the trash!" Trunks proclaimed. With a mighty battle cry, the two Super Saiyans charged at their opponents.

While the Saiyans continued to battle the androids, Dr. Zero finished pressing the buttons and started the time machine. The engines roared to life as the glass hood closed when suddenly, something fast rammed into the device. Zero growled as the attacker continued bashing against the time vehicle. The android pulled the lever on the machine as electricity sparked around the pod. Gohan then kicked Metallitron headfirst into a tree before rapidly blasting at him. 19 attempted to grab Gohan from behind, but he backflipped and stomped the fat machine into the ground. Trunks then appeared beside his friend as the rest of the battle droids gathered around the Demi Saiyans. The son of Goku reacted by raising his arms, creating a massive force of energy that blew the androids away. 13 quickly got up and charged at the Super Saiyan 2; however, he didn't get to him as Trunks elbow bashed him aside and stabbed 14 in the chest. The time traveler looked over to see the dragon causing damage to his machine.

"Gohan, let's wrap this up! We don't have much time left!" Trunks warned his fellow Saiyan.

"I know!" Gohan replied before he shouted, **"Blaster Meteor!"** The Saiyan child unleashed a barrage of blasts that rained down on their enemies, all of the androids fighting were struck and damaged except for one. 19 held out his good hand to absorb the blast coming at him, but before he could, Trunks had kicked him into a large mountain before letting out a kiai that made it collapse onto the metal man. The crane brothers were the only ones to get up right away. Tao brought out his hidden blade and rushed at Gohan. "Taste my blade, brat!" he cried as he swung at the Saiyan multiple times. Gohan dodged every strike before holding up his left arm to defend. The sword collided with the Saiyan's arm and shattered on impact. Tao stared in shock as Gohan smirked while pulling back his fist. He punched the mercenary in the face so hard, his right cybernetic eye cracked as he fell on his back.

Shen stood behind Gohan, who seemed unaware of the crane master's presence. Roshi's rival pointed his index finger at the son of Goku while channeling an enormous amount of Ki into it. Just before he could fire his attack, Trunks appeared in front of him with his hands pointing at the old fighter in the form of a gun. The Crane master's face became horrified as the prince's hands started to glow while he smirked. "Bang!" Trunks said. An energy bullet exploded from his fingers and blasted Shen aside. The two Z Fighters gazed at Dr. Zero in the time machine still being attacked by Icarus. "Stop damaging the machine this instant, you pathetic creature!" Zero ordered as Icarus' horns disabled one of the thrusters. "Icarus, get away from there!" Gohan yelled to the dragon. With one final ramming, Icarus had knocked the time machine over and backed away.

The Super Saiyans flew toward the machine while Zero struggled to get it to work after being damaged. Even though it wasn't standing, the pod roared as it sparked electricity and created a sphere of light around itself. The thrusters fired and launched the machine horizontally before it swerved and flew vertically. "Yes, yes, it's working!" Dr. Zero cried triumphantly. The orb of energy surrounding the machine started to expand before it turned red and let out small combustions. Gohan and Trunks watched as the machine's propeller moved faster and faster as it only had a few seconds before it disappeared for good. "We've only got one option; we have to destroy the time machine!" Gohan suggested.

"But if we do that, you'll be stuck in this timeline! You won't be able to get home for another three years or so!" Trunks warned his Saiyan brother.

"That doesn't matter right now! What matters is stopping Zero from using the time machine! We can worry about getting me home later!" Gohan declared.

Trunks nodded, and the two flew to the machine. Each Saiyan positioned themselves at a side of the machine as they raised their hands above their heads. "You're too late to stop me, Saiyans!" Dr. Zero shouted. "The world as you know it is about to end and be reborn in the image of the Red Ribbon Army!" "We'll see about that, Zero!" Gohan retorted as he and Trunks focused their Ki into their palms. Androids 13, 14, 19, and Tao witnessed the Demi Saiyans charging up their attacks to destroy Zero along with the time machine and flew to stop them while Icarus flew toward Gohan. **"Masenko...ha!"** the Saiyans shouted as they fired the demon flash attack. The beams collided with the machine's energy sphere just as Android 0 pressed the go button; in that instant, the Saiyans, Icarus, and the Androids aside from 15, Metallitron, and Shen were consumed by an enormous explosion that stretched to the heavens.

In West City, Bulma Briefs was washing dishes from the lunch earlier when she felt the house begin to shake. "What the heck's going on?! An earthquake?!" she wondered. "Or is it the boys going overboard with their little fight?!" She started frantically catching plates before she noticed something out the window; she peeked outside and saw the Ki pillar that tore through the fabrics of reality before it faded out of existence. "Boys," she muttered.

At the battlefield, 15, Metallitron, and Shen got up and approached the crater where the explosion had been. There was no trace of the Saiyans or their Android comrades; the three androids looked up at the black sky that still sparked electricity.

* * *

 **YJ Universe, Tokyo, August** **2,** **2011, 8:25pm**

Somewhere deep in a broad valley, the winds started to become aggressive. The night sky began to swirl as a beam of light drilled through it and descended toward the ground. The blast dug into the earth and let out a great flash of light that could be seen miles away. When the strange phenomenon ended, a large crater was left behind and in that trench laid Gohan, Trunks, Icarus, Androids 13, 14, 19, the Mercenary Tao, and the severed head of Dr. Zero along with the totaled time machine. The Demi Saiyans were severely injured but nothing serious; the Androids, on the other hand, were in an even worse condition. The skin of 13's face was burned off, revealing an iron skeleton, his right leg was missing and parts of his body were damaged, letting out sparks of electricity. 14 had a large hole in his chest, and his right hand was gone from Trunks' earlier assault. 19 was now missing both of his hands and had a big chunk of his body vaporized. Tao was the only one in fair condition; although one of his robotic eyes was destroyed, his chang pao was ruined, showing his burned chest, and his arms were damaged, he seemed to be in a better state than his allies.

Tao looked around to try to identify their location; when he couldn't, he looked at the Saiyans who were down on the ground. _"Looks like Zero's plan didn't work_ _the_ _way we hoped. He did manage to use the time machine, but we were transported to an unknown time period, and we brought the Saiyans with us,"_ the Mercenary thought. _"We could kill them now, but our bodies are in need of immediate_ _repairs,_ _and our power levels are probably too weak to match theirs."_ He then turned to his fellow androids who were just getting up. "13, take Android 19! 14, grab Dr. Zero's head, it's time to retreat!" Tao ordered. "I'll get the time machine."

The damaged mechanical fighters obeyed their instructions and ascended to the sky, leaving Tao alone. Just as the Assassin approached the pod, a Ki blast was fired, intercepting his path. "I don't think so, mercenary!" Gohan exclaimed as he stood up. His forehead was bleeding, as was his injured left arm, the top part of his Gi was half torn, and his body was covered with bruises (basically, the state he was in when he fought Super Perfect Cell), but he got back on his feet through sheer willpower, telling himself to keep fighting. He quickly jumped in front of the broken time-craft and took a fighting stance. "I'm not letting you guys escape with the Trunks' time machine," Gohan declared. "Or at all for that matter!"

Tao shook his head solemnly at the Demi Saiyan. "You are indeed the Son of Goku! You have the same stubbornness I saw in him," Tao commended the boy. "However, your body has taken significant damage, you can't expect to beat us like this!"

"Wanna bet?!" Gohan challenged as he flared his Ki. Tao watched as the Saiyan's golden aura emerged and electricity sparked around his body. "Even in my current state, none of you are any match for me when you're damaged!"

" _The boy is correct. If the others were to_ _engage_ _him, they_ _might shut down due to their bodies' malfunction,"_ Tao thought. _"I suppose I could exploit his weakness, but if he's still stronger, and if he's anything like Goku, that means I can't beat him that way."_

"Are you gonna stand there all day or are we gonna fight?!" Gohan questioned.

"Sorry, child, as much as I would love getting back at your father by killing you, I'm afraid we have to part ways for now," Tao said.

"Do you really think that I'll just let you escape?!" Gohan asked.

"Perhaps not, but one thing I've learned about your father is that he's not known for being perceptive," Tao taunted as he pulled a grenade with the Red Ribbon symbol on it. "You may be smarter than him, but I doubt you're any different." Gohan's eyes widened as the killer tossed the bomb at him. Tao then fired a finger beam at the device, causing it to detonate automatically. The explosion consumed the Saiyans and Icarus with a wall of smoke covering them. When it finally cleared, Gohan could be seen holding up an energy barrier around himself, Trunks, Icarus, and the time machine. He lowered the Ki dome and looked around for his enemies, but they were gone without a trace.

" _Blast it, they're gone! I didn't see which they went nor can I sense their Ki, so there's no way for me to track them,"_ the boy thought. _"Well, at least I stopped them from getting Trunks' time machine."_ Gohan walked over to the time craft and inspected it. _"It looks completely fried; there's no way we can use it to get home now. Which reminds me, where or when are we anyway?"_ The half Saiyan pressed the button on the machine, returning it to its capsule form. He then winced in pain as his hair changed from gold to black. _"Guess my injuries are more serious than I thought. We need to get out of here before someone finds us here."_

Icarus then came up to Gohan and licked his face; the Saiyan pet his friend's head before walking over to his Saiyan comrade. He picked up Trunks and placed him on the dragon's back before getting on himself. "C'mon Icarus, let's get out of here!" Gohan instructed. Icarus flapped his big wings and flew off into the sky at amazing speed. "Whoa, I've forgotten how fast you are, boy!"

After a few minutes, an investigation team came to the area where the Saiyans and the Androids crash landed; they only found a significant trench as both parties were long gone. Gohan had eventually passed out from exhaustion while riding on Icarus' back. Trunks woke up afterward and directed Icarus to land in an uncharted territory. The Saiyan prince carried Gohan as he examined the boy's wounds. _"Gohan needs a Senzu bean or to get into the healing tank,"_ the Saiyan teen thought. _"We didn't get any beans for the trip, and the Androids stole my capsule case when they took my time machine!"_ Icarus then nudged the teen to show that he was holding something in his mouth: Trunks' case of capsules. "Thanks, Icarus," Trunks said gratefully as he smiled and petted the dragon. After retrieving his case, Trunks opened it and pulled out the capsule that contained the gravity chamber his mother made for him. He pressed the button and let the cap fall to the floor. It burst in a poof of smoke and appeared in its true form.

Trunks carried Gohan into the chamber and placed him into one of the two rejuvenation pods; after putting the breathing mask and a few wires on the boy, the swordsman closed the machine and pressed the start button. The medical apparatus filled up with its unique synthetic Saiyan DNA and began healing the boy's wounds. Trunks then placed himself into a tank and repeated the same process; both Saiyan slept soundly for their recovery while Icarus curled up beside Gohan's machine.

An hour later…

Trunks' machine beeped to indicate that the Saiyan prince was healed entirely; the liquid drained before the tank opened, and the lavender-haired teen stepped out of the pod. He threw a few punches and smiled as he felt his strength was fully restored. Trunks then looked over to Gohan's machine to see that he was still in recovery. _"His arm was broken, the machine must need more time to heal him,"_ Trunks figured. _"Plus, he hasn't fully mastered the Super Saiyan 2 form; the strain on his body was probably greater than he's used to."_ Trunks then stepped outside the gravity machine and stared at the night sky. He sensed many life forces in the distance. _"Must be a city or town somewhere. Better check it out, maybe I can found out where and when we are."_ The older Saiyan shut the door to the chamber and took off into the air.

Another hour later…

Gohan's machine finally beeped to announce that the boy was healed of his injuries; the pod flushed down its fluid, and the tank opened up. Gohan slowly regained consciousness before stepping out of the medical machine. Icarus awoke as his friend stepped beside him, noticing him. Gohan examined himself curiously before performing some moves. _"It's nice that my strength has returned, but how did I get here?"_ Gohan wondered. Icarus started licking the boy's face, making him smile. "Hey, Icarus! Do you know where Trunks is, by any chance?" the black-haired Saiyan inquired when he saw that his comrade was not around.

Right on cue, a voice from outside said, "Good, you're finally awake." Gohan gazed at the entrance as Trunks Briefs came inside the chamber. "How are you feeling, Gohan?" the teen asked.

Gohan jumped into the air and flipped before landing on his feet. "I feel good as new, but Trunks, what is this place?" he questioned.

"This is the gravity chamber. My grandfather and my mom built one for my dad to train in," Trunks replied. "You've probably never seen it since your dad stopped using his."

"Well that answers my first question," Gohan said. "My next one is where and when are we?"

"I went outside and found a large city nearby. There, I found out that we're currently in a place known as Tokyo, which is located in Japan," Trunks explained. "It's apparently August 2, 2011, and the time is 10:15pm." (A/N: Don't know the actual year the Young Justice universe is in, so I'll just go with the year the show came out. Please correct me if I'm wrong.)

"The place doesn't sound familiar, but the date is 3 months after the Cell games," Gohan stated. "How did you find this stuff out?"

"I spoke to a few people in the city; they seem to speak English and Japanese like we do," Trunks informed him. (A/N: I gave the Saiyans those languages since they seem to already speak both based on some of their attack names.) "From what I could figure out when we attempted to destroy the time machine, its time field expanded through the explosion, and somehow transported us to a whole new universe or dimension. Speaking of which, where's the time machine and what happened to the Androids?"

"The Androids escaped," Gohan responded as he looked down in shame. "I'm sorry, they managed to slip past me."

Trunks sighed. "It can't be helped; they are a tricky bunch. But what about the time machine, did they still have it?" he asked.

Gohan shook his head "No, but it's not like they could use it anyway." The monkey prince pulled out a capsule from his pocket and pressed the button; the machine appeared in a poof, still very damaged from the trip.

Trunks stared at his time craft with wide eyes. "What happened to it?!" he questioned.

"This is how it was when I found it," Gohan replied. "So, do you think you can fix it?"

"I'm not sure, I don't even know where to begin," Trunks answered. "And even if we do end up repairing the machine, the power source it uses probably doesn't exist in this universe."

"Could you find a new power source for it then?" Gohan inquired.

"It's possible, but there's still the matter of configuring the machine to travel dimensions as it does time," Trunks explained. "And that could take a while."

"How long would you say?" Gohan asked.

"Months, maybe years," Trunks said.

Gohan's expression turned sad at hearing Trunks' words. "So, what you're saying is that we could be stuck here for years, maybe even forever," he surmised.

"Maybe," Trunks said. "But that doesn't mean we should give up! I don't care how long it takes! I'll fix the time machine and figure out how to get to take us back to our homes, even if it takes me a lifetime!"

Gohan smiled at his friend's resolve. "I guess we'll just have to wait till then. At least I'll have time to work on my project."

"Mind telling me what it is?" Trunks asked.

"How about later, right now…" Gohan ran to chamber's entrance. "I want to explore this new world!"

"I suppose if we're going to be living here for some time, we should learn a few things and get comfortable," Trunks mused. "Who knows, we might like it here."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Gohan asked with excitement. "Let's see what this world has to offer!"

* * *

Unknown Location

Tao led Androids 13,14, and 19 into a large cave; once there, the mechanical fighters set down the severed head of their leader. After a few seconds, Zero's head sparked, and his eyes lit up. "13, 14, 19, and Tao, your bodies have been damaged, but you're still alive," Dr. Zero observed. "Does this mean our plan was successful? Have we traveled to the past?"

"I'm afraid our plan has failed," 19 answered. "The Saiyans' interference has set our journey to a different course."

"The damage done to the time machine seems to have caused a malfunction that plunged us into a whole new universe," Tao explained. "We escaped the Saiyans, but we lost the time machine in the process."

"Your body was destroyed in the time combustion Zero," 14 added.

"Darn those Saiyans, they're a thorn in our side!" 13 cursed. "How in tarnation are we supposed to rebuild the Red Ribbon Army now?!"

"Calm yourself, 13," Zero said calmly. "I know our plan didn't turn out the way we desired, but fear not my brothers. This is nothing more than a minor setback."

"A minor setback?" Tao questioned.

"Yes, although it was an accident, if the time craft brought us here, then it can take us back," Zero assured.

"Your brain must be malfunctioning, Dr. Zero. You don't seem to be processing that we lost the machine to the Saiyans," 19 said.

"Well then we'll just have to build our own," Zero replied.

"How?" 14 inquired.

"Number 13, please bring out the case," Zero instructed the Android. 13 pulled out a small case and opened it to reveal multiple Dyno-caps inside. "Although it irks me to have to resort to using the Red Ribbon's rival's product, they are beneficial at times. Please open the capsule marked number one." 13 pressed the button on the capsule and dropped it; it instantly turned into a full-sized laboratory that cracked part of the cave. The Androids stepped inside the lab and saw numerous pieces of technology. They walked up to a big screen where Zero told 19 to plug him in, and on the screen appeared a schematic of Trunks' time machine. "Gero always had a back plan, so I made sure to have one as well."

"Impressive, how did you acquire these blueprints for the machine?" Tao asked.

"I had a few of the spy drones download them from Bulma Briefs' lab, and I scanned the machine myself went I entered it," Zero explained. "Now, if you gentlemen will follow me, we have an appointment with someone important."

The Androids walked over to an odd looking machine; Tao pressed a button on the device, and it lit up. Immediately, the image of a strange-looking, elderly man with gray skin, no pupils, and sitting cross-legged on some crystal sphere appeared. "Dr. Raichi, how are you this night?" Zero asked the newcomer.

"Cut the formalities, Zero, and tell me if your plan has worked," Raichi said, not beating around the bush.

"I'm afraid there have been some minor setbacks, as we seem to have entered a new reality," Zero informed him.

"What does this mean for our plans for the future?" Raichi questioned. "You promised me that you would help me eradicate the remaining Saiyans if I agreed to our partnership."

"Rest assured, you will have your revenge on the surviving Saiyans; our plan has just taken an unexpected turn, thanks to a couple of Saiyans," Zero explicated. "But the day will come when we will create a universe void of any Saiyan disease. For now, we must be patient."

"Hmm, very well," Raichi complied. "So, what is our next move?"

"First thing, we must repair our damaged comrades. If our plan is to be set in motion, we must be at full strength," Zero said. "However, we are in a new world at the moment, one in which we know nothing about, so it would be foolish for us to make any moves without gaining some knowledge about this universe…" Dr. Zero's eyes suddenly started glowing, and immediately a container came up from the floor. When it opened, swarms of robotic bees flew out and hovered above Android 0's head. "So why don't we see what this world has to offer?" The spy drones flew out of the cavern and spread out in multiple directions while Dr. Zero smirked evilly.

 **A/N: And thus the adventure begins! Thank you, my fellow** **readers,** **for your supportive reviews. Things are only gonna get more exciting as time goes on, trust me. Just stay tuned and wait for the next chapter of** **Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army** **! In the meantime, anyone wanna guess what Gohan's secret project is? Or how Dr. Zero plans on rebuilding the Red Ribbon Army? The winner(s) gets their request for what they** **want to be put in this story granted, sound nice? Well, gotta go, still got other ideas to put down before I forget them. Until next time BBFN AntiHero out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey there, AntiHero here! When I initially started this Fanfic, I was planning to make the Demi Saiyans appear before the Team was formed, but then I wondered how the Team would fare against them, so I changed the time they appeared in the YJ Universe. Sorry for the confusion and thank you for your patience. Now it's time for the real story to begin!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Young Justice**

 **Chapter 4- New Heroes**

 **Unknown Location**

It had been a week since Dr. Zero and Dr. Raichi had arrived in this strange universe; in that time, they not only managed to repair Androids 13, 14, 19, and Cyber Tao but upgraded their cybernetics a bit. Now, the Android warriors were currently out trying to salvage pieces of technology from abandoned labs, military junkyards, or pretty much any place they can get into without much trouble. Dr. Raichi was working on a few of his own machines (A/N: Basically the ones from the movie.) while Dr. Zero, still a severed head was making blueprints for a new robotic body and awaiting the spy drones to return with Intel on this universe. "Quite an interesting world this is, hmm?" Zero questioned.

"Indeed. For one thing, not too many Saiyans to corrupt it," Raichi stated.

"True, but this world does have its own super-powered beings and aliens," Zero said. "They could be useful to our goals."

"Yes, the Meta-Humans possess unique abilities while the aliens have skills that are comparable to the aliens in our universe," the Tuffle agreed.

"Plus, the pieces of technology are incredibly advanced here," Zero added. Just then, four spy drones had entered Zero's lair. "Ah, the spies have returned; now let us see what Intel they've acquired."

The first robotic bug came up and revealed a holo-screen; on it was a catalog of seven different costume-wearing individuals. "These are the Justice League, a group of superheroes who defend the world from harm. Their HQs are the Hall of Justice and an orbiting space station known as the Watchtower," the 1st drone explained. "The League is made up of more members, but these seven are the founders of this team and known to be the best amongst the heroes."

"It's like this own universe of Z Fighters," Zero commented. "Except these people dress even weirder."

"The 1st member is a human who is known as the Batman: The Dark Knight," the drone continued. "He's the hero of Gotham City and the world's greatest detective. He has no powers, but is very skilled in Martial Arts and is armed with incredible weaponry and gadgets. He is also highly intelligent on many things." The person on the drone's screen changed to another person. "The 2nd member is a Meta-Human called the Flash, the fastest man alive and hero of Central City. He is capable of running at incredible speeds equal to that of a Super Saiyan. He can run up to about 6 billion miles per hour, at least ten times faster than light, phase through walls, run on water, and much more with just speed. The 3rd member is one of the Green Lanterns, an organization full of beings that possess green multi-powered rings. The ring can manifest any weapon or object imaginable through the user's willpower, and the ring also has one of the highest levels of energy in the universe."

"How interesting," Raichi remarked.

"The 4th member is Hawkgirl, an alien from a planet by the name of Thanagar," the Drone went on. "She wields an electric mace made from a metal alloy that is not known to our universe that can disrupt magic. The Thanagarians resemble humans but wear bird-like masks and have giant feathery wings; these qualities give them excellent eyesight, hearing, and sense of smell. Their kind is also a warrior race like the Saiyans." This data made the Doctors snare in disgust. "The 5th member is Wonder Woman, a warrior from a race of females known as the Amazons who hail from a secluded island known as Themyscira. Legend says that the Amazons are blessed with super strength, flight, enhanced abilities, and immortality. Like the Saiyans and the Thanagarians, the Amazons are born warriors trained to fight the moment they are born. Wonder Woman is incredibly skilled in combat and a master in every weapon aside from guns; she also has impenetrable bracelets for defense, a razor-sharp Tiara, and an unbreakable lasso the forces its victims to tell the truth.

"The 6th member is Martian Manhunter, an alien from the planet Mars. Like Namekians, they have green skin and regenerative abilities, and are fighters with special faculty. They possess super strength, flight, intangibility, shapeshifting, and psychic powers which allow them to read minds, speak telepathy, use telekinesis, and much more," Drone 1 said. "Martians are also weak to heated areas."

"A lot of those abilities can be manifested with Ki in our world; I was unaware other beings could harness them without using Ki," Raichi noted.

"The 7th and final member of the League is Superman, the man of steel and hero of Metropolis. He is the sole survivor of an alien race from the planet Krypton. His power comes from the rays of the sun and is theorized to be unlimited. He possesses super senses, super strength, super speed, frost breath, and his most powerful ability, heat vision. He's practically invulnerable to anything aside from magic and alien radiation, specifically kryptonite, radioactive fragments of Krypton that are deadly to him. He might be one of most powerful beings in the cosmos," the Drone finished before closing the screen and shutting down.

"Fascinating, these beings would make excellent specimens for our future experiments," Android 0 mused. "Let's see what other data we've acquired." The second spy drone came up and opened its screen, displaying data on seven other costumed individuals like the Justice League but much younger.

"This is a team of the Justice League's Protégés; they are meant to handle the covert missions assigned to them by the Dark Knight," Drone 2 began. "Their leader is Aqualad, an Atlantean who is the partner of Aquaman, King the Atlantis. Aqualad is stronger than the average human, and his skin is dense. He possesses water weapons that can be any other weapon of his choice, can breathe underwater, and can conduct electricity.

"Their 2nd member is Robin, the boy wonder and Batman's partner. Like his mentor, Robin is skilled in Martial Arts and has detective skills, stealth skills, as well as hacking skills. He shares the same gadgets as the Batman.

"The 3rd member is Kid Flash, partner to the Flash. Intelligent and fast, though not as much as his mentor.

"The 4th member is Superboy. Some say he's the son of Superman, but in actuality, he's a genetically engineered clone of the last Kryptonian. He cannot access the full Kryptonian abilities as he incapable of flight and heat vision, his strength is diminished, and he cannot absorb as much sunlight as he should be able to.

"The 5th member is Miss Martian, niece to the Martian Manhunter. She possesses the same abilities as her uncle aside from density shifting, and her psychic powers hold great potential. She is also in command of the Team's transportation: the Bio-Ship, an organic aircraft from Mars that responds to her mentality and can camouflage itself.

"The 6th and final member of the Team is Artemis, the 2nd Protégé of Star City's hero, Green Arrow. She is skilled in archery and hand-to-hand combat as well as stealth. Each of her arrows is a different gadget."

"Hold on, if the Team is composed of six members, then who's the seventh person on the screen?" Raichi inquired.

"This young man is Red Arrow, formerly known as Speedy. He is a rogue hero who was once Green Arrow's partner. Like his mentor, he is skilled with a bow and arrow as well as hand-to-hand combat, and each arrow in his quiver is designed with different uses." The 2nd Drone concluded its report and closed the screen.

"So earth mightiest heroes have a bunch of kids running around doing errands for them and fighting battles? Some things never change," Zero remarked. "Even in our world, the strongest warriors felt it necessary to bring children into battle."

The 3rd Drone moved forward and opened up a screen; on it appeared numerous villains separated due to the group they were a part of. "These are some of the world's dangerous villains: the Joker, Count Vertigo, Poison Ivy, Atomic Skull, Wotan, Black Adam, and Ultra-Humanite," Drone 3 explained as its screen focused on the group on top. "They make up the organization known as the Injustice League. They are believed to be the ones attempting to take down the Justice League. However, this group is just a front, a distraction from the real criminal organization." The Drone then focused on the bottom screen. "This is Vandal Savage, Ra's al Ghul, Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, Ocean Master, and Klarion the Witch Boy. They make up the organization known as the Light, the Justice League's true enemy. But these members work in secret, so it's hard to know of their existence; only Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, and Ra's al Ghul are well known as they are public faces of the world."

"Interesting, so they hide in plain sight, just like the Red Ribbon Army used to do," Zero observed.

"Lex Luthor is the head of the company named Lex Corp. while Queen Bee is the ruler of Bialya," the Drone added.

"Hmm, perhaps we should consider associating with this Light organization," Raichi suggested. "They could make excellent allies."

"Exactly what I was thinking; in a strange world, we could use a couple of friends," Zero agreed. "And I believe we should start with this Lex Luthor, as he can help with our plans."

After relaying the data on the Light, the 3rd drone shut down, and the 4th one floated forward and opened up its screen, showing a small building. "This is Project Cadmus, a genetics lab, but there's more to it than meets the eye." The 4th Drone then revealed the schematics of the building, showing the first two floors above ground and the next fifty underground. "In reality, Project Cadmus is a 52-story laboratory where creatures known as Genomorphs are created through genetic engineering. These creatures are capable of super strength, telepathy, telekinesis, razor-sharp claws, etc. Cadmus is hidden from the grid due to supplying its own power source with the Genomorphs, and the leader of this place was a scientist named Dr. Desmond, but he was imprisoned after becoming the villain known as Blockbuster. Now, the Hero known as Guardian is in charge of Cadmus."

"Huh, a lab for genetically engineering super warriors, and they can do it in a fraction of the time it took to create Cell," Zero mused. "This could prove useful to us."

"Cadmus' latest Genomorph was a weapon they called project Kr, who later became the public Superboy after Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash broke in and rescued the clone. Also, it's worth mentioning that the Light is secretly in charge of Project Cadmus," the Drone finished.

"Is that so? Well, that just makes things easier for us." The 4th Drone then shut down, and Dr. Zero turned his severed head to his partner. "How is your experiment coming along, Dr. Raichi?" he asked.

"It's coming along wonderfully. Pretty soon it will be complete, and you will have your body back," Raichi assured.

"Excellent," Zero said. Just then, 13, 14, 19, and Tao had returned carrying numerous pieces of damaged technology. "Ah, my warriors have returned, now we can begin our project. 13, 14, the two of you will assist me while Tao, 19, and Raichi leave for an appointment," he instructed the Androids. 14 then picked up Zero's head and moved it to another table as Raichi and the Androids started to leave; before they could, another spy drone came up to Zero and downloaded some data into his mechanic brain. After the transfer was complete, Zero snarled, which got Raichi's attention. "Is something wrong?" the Tuffle inquired. "It's nothing we need to worry about now," Zero replied as he thought, _"No matter what world they're in, the Saiyan can never stop fighting."_

* * *

 **Tokyo, August 9, 2011, 11: 30 am, Capsule Laboratory**

The Son of Goku was currently busy working on his secret project: reactivating Android 16. His companion had left 30 minutes ago to stock up on supplies and food for them, so Gohan thought now would be the best time to start on getting 16 back online. He began by downloading present 16's memory bank from the brain he found at the Cell Games battlefield into future 16's brain. Once that was done, he planned to upgrade 16's cybernetics before fully activating him. _"I can't believe Dr. Gero built such a unique Android and just shut it down afterward,"_ Gohan thought. _"Well, I guess since 16 wasn't evil he didn't really have any use for him, so he just left him to rust."_ Gohan stared at the Android in pity. _"He couldn't even give you a real name. You may be the 16_ _th_ _mechanical man but you still have human emotions. I mean, didn't you ever want a name?"_ the Half Saiyan placed his hand under his chin as he started to ponder. " _I guess it's not too late to give you a name, so how about Sixteener? Nah, that's stupid. Gero Jr.? Nope! Hmm, you did tell me that you loved animals and Park Rangers like animals, but you're much more than just an average Ranger, so how about… Super Ranger? Yes, that's perfect! You're now Super Ranger!"_

Gohan smiled brightly as he went back to working on fixing Super Ranger; his head suddenly shot up when he sensed Trunks Briefs' Ki. _"Trunks' back! Better put this on hold and meet up with him,"_ he thought before he quickly closed Super Ranger's case and put it in its capsule form. He then ran outside and approached the Capsule home just as the Saiyan Prince descended to the ground carrying bags of supplies. "Hey, Trunks!" Gohan greeted his friend.

Trunks smiled at his fellow Saiyan. "Hey Gohan, what have you been up to?" he asked.

"Oh, just reading the books I got about this place, they're very fascinating," Gohan lied before asking, "Do you need any help with those?"

"Nah, I've got them. Let's go inside, there's something we need to talk about," Trunks told him. The Demi Saiyans entered the Capsule house, and Trunks put the stuff down; they then sat in the living room while Trunks was holding a newspaper. "Gohan, is there something you'd like to tell me?" he asked the kid.

"Um, nope. Not that I can think of," Gohan replied as he started sweating. "W-Why do you ask?"

"It's just that since we're trapped in this foreign world, there's no one we can really trust here besides ourselves," Trunks answered.

"I do trust you, Trunks," Gohan said instantly.

"And I you," Trunks agreed. "So, do you mind telling me what you know about some mystery hero that's been appearing in Tokyo for some time?"

Gohan was confused but managed to keep a calm face. "Well, I don't know much about this hero, but we've heard that there are heroes everywhere in this world," he replied.

"But do you know any hero with spiky gold hair?" Trunks questioned.

"Umm, no, sorry. Don't know any hero like that," Gohan denied as his sweating increased.

"Oh, then this guy must not be you," Trunks said as he tossed the newspaper on the table; the headline was about some new superhero with gold hair and emerald eyes that stopped crime in Tokyo. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this hero was a Super Saiyan."

Gohan stayed quiet for a minute, hoping that Trunks would drop the matter, but to no avail. "Alright, you caught me! I'm the mystery hero of Tokyo!" Gohan confessed. "I was just trying to help people."

"Gohan, I thought we agreed to keep a low profile?" Trunks inquired.

"I know, I know, and I tried to," Gohan explained. "But every time I stepped into the city, everywhere I went, someone got shot, mugged, or killed. Places were destroyed, and people were getting hurt a lot! I couldn't take it anymore!"

"Didn't you say that this world was full of heroes? Didn't you see any of them coming to help this city?" Trunks questioned.

"No! It was only the police or the locals who tried to help, but I knew they couldn't handle it," Gohan explicated. "So at one point, I saw a crime being committed and decided to stop it. I turned Super Saiyan so that no one would recognize me if they ever saw me again and I was able to keep my identity a secret. After the first time, I just kept doing it, thinking I was helping a lot of people."

Trunks got up and sat beside his friend. "I know you want to help, Gohan, but we're not supposed to draw attention to ourselves. We need to stay out of sight until we can find a way back home," he said.

"But what if we can't?" Gohan asked. "What if we're stuck here forever?"

"We're not, we just need to wait until I can finish repairing the time machine and reprogramming it," Trunks countered. "Until then, we're supposed to keep to ourselves."

"But I can't just stand by and watch something bad happen, not to mention that any one of those crimes taking place could be Dr. Zero and his Androids," Gohan argued. "We haven't seen them in weeks; I can't stand the thought of those monsters harming innocent people and not feel responsible since we're the ones who brought them here!"

"I can't either, and we will find them eventually," Trunks assured him.

"Not if we keep staying here!" Gohan exclaimed. "We know Dr. Zero is planning something big, even if he's stuck in this weird world, and he won't rest until he's completed his goal! There are so many heroes here but none of them know the horrors these Androids are capable of. We do, and it'll be even worse if Zero gain some allies in this world." Gohan then stood up and stared out the window. "While we stay here indoors, Zero is out there planning his next move, and if he's anything like Dr. Gero as he claims to be, letting him loose for too long could prove to be disastrous, unless we do something about it!"

"We're not superheroes. It's not our job, especially in this universe," Trunks responded.

"So what? That doesn't we can't help it in any way!" Gohan countered. "My Dad never considered himself a hero, just a strong fighter who protected the innocent from evil, and I want to do the same here!"

Trunks stared at his friend and saw the seriousness in his eyes. "Using the Super Saiyan on a daily basis could be reckless, for you and the people," he said.

"I can control it, training with my father has helped me control the energy to the point where I can lower my Ki enough to do minimum damage while still maintaining the form," Gohan assured.

Trunks closed his eyes as he thought for a moment; he then opened them and said, "Alright Gohan, you wanna be a hero, then let's do it!"

"Wait, do what?!" Gohan asked, a little perplexed.

"I said we're going to become heroes!" Trunks repeated. "We'll protect this city from harm while we search for the Androids. It'll be much easier to find them if we're patrolling the city in case they decide to make a move. That way, we can truly help people."

Gohan smiled as he ran up and hugged his companion. "Thanks, Trunks."

"No problem, buddy, but if we're gonna be heroes, then we need to do this right," Trunks suggested as he brought out a capsule. He pressed the button and dropped it; it poofed and turned into a large box that contained Saiyan combat uniforms. "We'll need to gear up and look the part of real Superheroes if we wanna be one."

"Cool!" Gohan exclaimed as he opened the chest. He brought out a navy blue bodysuit and a gold battle jacket with shoulder pads. He put them on before putting on the white gloves and boots and then tying a red headband to his head. (A/N: The Armor is like a combination of his Namek and Earth Saiyan armor.) "How do I look?" he asked the Saiyan teen.

"Like a real hero," Trunks answered as he pulled out his own armor. His consisted of a black bodysuit with a red battle jacket with shoulder pads; it also came with red gloves and boots and a star necklace. The left breastplate held a red symbol on it. After Trunks put the armor on, he picked up his sword and strapped it on before placing the armor's cape on as well. "What do you think?" he asked Gohan.

"You look awesome! Where did this armor come from anyway?" Gohan inquired.

"This is actually King Vegeta' armor, my grandfather and the ruler of Saiyans," Trunks replied. "My father asked my mom to make this armor exactly like this since he was supposed to be the next Saiyan King, but he could never bring himself to wear it, so my mom gave it to me." Trunks then pointed to the red symbol on the armor. "Both our armors bear the symbol of the royal Saiyan family," he commented.

Gohan looked down and saw the same red symbol on his breastplate. "Guess this will be our Logo," Gohan said. "Now all we need are the names."

"I'll go by the Saiyan Prince," Trunks decided. "My Father's always calling himself that, and I am of royal blood, so I might as well use that title, too."

"I guess I'll be the Saiyan… Kid," Gohan said. "Yeah, the Saiyan Kid, I like it!"

"Me too," Trunks agreed. He then pulled out another capsule and released it; this one turned into a small box. When he opened it, there were five scouters inside. He picked up a red one and handed a blue one to Gohan. "Wear these," he instructed. "They'll help us to communicate when we're apart. Plus, I've modified them to detect the energy readings of the Androids since we can't sense their Ki."

"Great idea!" Gohan said. The two then put on their scouters. "Now we really look like Saiyans."

"Because we are the Saiyans!" Trunks exclaimed. "Tokyo's new heroes! And now we must patrol the city while making our existence known to the world!"

"What happened to keeping a low profile?" Gohan asked as he tied his Power pole to his back.

"We're heroes now, the world needs to know about us, unlike in our universe," Trunks told him as he and Gohan turned Super Saiyan. "Now let's save Tokyo!"

"Yeah, the Saiyans are ready!" Gohan announced. The two then flew out of the Capsule home and headed toward the city.

* * *

Moments later

The Saiyans had separated and were currently hovering above the city, scanning the area for any signs of trouble. Trunks had decided to search the west side of Tokyo while Gohan explored the east side. After looking around for some time, the Saiyan Prince pressed the button on his scouter to talk to his partner. "Any sign of the Androids, Kid?" he questioned.

Gohan was still looking around when the screen on his scouter started beeping, indicating that he was receiving a call. He pressed the button and listened to Trunks' call. "Sorry, Prince, no sign of Zero or the Androids." He then looked down as something caught his eye: multiple police cars parked right outside a bank. He could hear the sirens ringing as he saw Police officers armed with guns waiting outside the bank. One of them had a megaphone and was yelling orders at the people in the building. "Looks like there's trouble! I'm gonna go check it out, get here as soon as you can! Kid, out!" Gohan called before he flew toward the bank ceiling.

Inside the Bank, there were seven armed robbers. Four of them were taking money from the vault while three of them were keeping the 10 hostages in check. "Hands in the air!" one of the crooks said. "And keep quiet!" The captives obeyed without resistance. "You are completely surrounded! Come out with your hands up!" the police ordered. The crook replied by pointing his gun toward the window and pulling his trigger; everyone outside quickly got down as bullets went flying through the air. "That was a warning shot, copper!" the boss robber replied. "Next time I might actually hit someone, like these poor people inside! Don't test me!" He then turned toward the men raiding the vault. "You boys done shopping yet?!"

"Just about finished, boss!" one of the crooks answered.

"Good!" The boss then turned toward the prisoners. "Now listen folks, I'm a pretty reasonable crook, and I can be pretty generous when I feel like it. I know I threatened to shoot and/or kill all of you, but I'm not planning on doing that today, so don't worry. However, I need those cops out there to know that I'm serious and that when I don't get my way, bad things happen." He started pacing in front of the hostages while waving his gun around; although he assured them that they would survive, they all still watched him cautiously and worriedly. "One of you needs to be made an example so that those do-gooders out there decide to back off while we get away."

The boss continued to pace until he finally stopped and focused his gun at a young girl, who looked no older than 13. "Looks like we have a winner, you get to take a bullet for the team!" he said to the girl; her entire body started shaking with fear as the weapon was aimed at her stomach. "Now, since I'm a nice guy, I'm going to give you a chance to survive this. If you can avoid this bullet, then I'll pick someone else to shoot, but if not, then whether you survive or not depends on two things: whether I miss your vital organs and they get you to an ambulance on time, or by some miracle, someone takes it for you."

The crime boss slowly pulled the trigger on his gun as the girl started to cry; the gun went off, and the bullet flew toward the girl. Suddenly, the bank ceiling burst open, and someone descended from it onto the floor. As the bullet flew through the air, a white glove intercepted it and caught it. The smoke cleared and everyone was surprised to see a little boy in armor hold up his hand. Gohan released the bullet and glared at the boss crook. "What the heck? Where did this kid come from?!" the crook questioned.

Gohan looked back at the frightened girl and asked. "Are you alright?" The girl slowly nodded, still petrified. "Everyone, stay where you are, and remain calm! I'll get you out of this!" Gohan assured them. The hostages looked at each other in confusion, as if they couldn't believe that this child could save them.

The lead crook was surprised at first, but then he burst out laughing. "What have we got here?! A kid trying to play the hero?!" He then aimed his gun at Gohan's head. "Listen here, kid, you shouldn't meddle in affairs that are bigger than you! Take my advice and step aside, unless you want me to mess up that nice costume you've got on!"

"I'll only say this once!" Gohan warned as he glared at the robber. "Surrender now, and I won't have to hurt you!"

"Ha ha! You?! Hurt me?! You clearly think this is some sort of game, child!" the crook replied. "Better back down now before I damage that already broken brain of yours!"

"Hey, kid! You're better off doing what he says before you end up in the hospital or dead!" one of the hostages tried to warn him.

"The only ones going to the hospital will be this guy and his friends if they don't surrender!" Gohan declared.

"You should listen to adults when they're talking, boy!" the crook said. "Don't be a fool with your life!"

"I'll say it one more time, give up now!" Gohan ordered.

The crime boss scowled at the half Saiyan. "Arrogant little brat! It's time you learned your place!" He pulled the trigger on his gun, firing the first shot, yet Gohan easily caught it a second before it hit his forehead. "What the heck?!" the boss cried before he started rapidly firing shots at Gohan. The Saiyan Kid caught every single bullet with his right hand, crushed them, and dropped the pieces. Everyone who just witnessed that now had their jaws hanging open. "H-How the heck did you do that boy?!" the crook questioned. Gohan didn't answer him as he slowly started walking toward him, so he quickly scrambled through his pocket for more bullets. Before he could reload his weapon, Gohan glared at the gun, causing it to explode. "Argh! You damn brat!" the lead crook growled. Gohan was soon standing directly in front of the man; the robber stepped back a bit before pulling out a knife. He swung his blade to stab the Saiyan Kid in the head, but his left wrist was immediately grabbed and crushed. The robber cried out in pain before throwing his right fist at Gohan; his fist collided with the half Saiyan's face and the bones in his finger cracked upon impact. "Gaaaah!" the thug screamed as his left wrist was broken and his right hand's bones were shattered. "What the heck are you made of, child?! Who are you?!"

Before Gohan could respond, the remaining six robbers gathered around and pointed at him. "He's just a kid! How is he the one causing us problems?!" one of the gunmen asked. The boss then smirked as he declared, "Let's see you catch all of these bullets, boy!"

"This is your final warning!" Gohan said as he pulled out his Power Pole. "Surrender now!"

"Ha ha ha! Just who do you think you are trying to threaten us with a stick, boy?!" another gunman asked. "What do you want us to do, boss?"

"Give the boy a new look!" the boss ordered. Six bullets were fired at the Saiyan Kid at the same time; Gohan simply swatted three back at the crooks with his Power Pole and caught the other three with his right hand. The three bullets hit their own guns and damaged them. "Power Pole, extend!" Gohan commanded. His staff grew longer, and in that instant, he whacked the three unarmed crooks in the head, knocking them out. The remaining three gunmen were trembling a bit as Gohan's staff shortened itself. "What are you idiots waiting for?! Shoot him now!" the boss roared. Three robbers aimed their guns at Gohan when, suddenly, something flew through the air and cut their weapons in half. Everyone turned to the wall where the flying object stuck and saw that it was a sword. Gohan looked up to see the Saiyan Prince floating right under the ceiling hole. "Glad you could join the party!" Gohan greeted.

"Well, I didn't want to miss out on all the fun," Trunks replied.

"Where the heck did this freak come from?!" the boss yelled. "You know what, it doesn't matter! Go get 'em, boys!"

The three jumped at the Saiyan Prince, but Trunks just disappeared and chopped all three crooks in the back of their heads, knocking them out. Both Saiyans turned toward the lead robber. The head crook was shaking with fear as the Saiyans waited to see what his next move would be. "I ain't going to prison, punks!" he declared. "If I'm going down, this whole place is going with me!" He pulled out a grenade and pulled the pin off, but Trunks quickly knocked him out as he dropped the bomb and Gohan quickly grabbed it. The Saiyans then fired a Ki blast at the bank doors, which were locked with a chain, forcing them to open. "Everybody out now!" Trunks ordered. All of the hostages exited the bank as Gohan flew upward with the grenade. When he was a safe distance from the bank, he tossed the bomb into the sky and fired an energy blast at it, causing it to detonate.

The spectators outside watched as the hostages ran out of the bank, unharmed. They then looked up when they heard the explosion and saw the smoke from the bomb. "What the heck was that?!" the Police chief questioned. The Police then looked down to see the seven crooks tied up and placed on top of a police car. "Hey, up there!" one of the bystanders cried. Everyone looked up again and spotted the Demi Saiyans in the sky; they saluted the people before flying off with a gold trail. "Who the heck were those guys?" the chief wondered.

"That was so easy!" Gohan stated as he and Trunks continued patrolling.

"No kidding! At this rate, protecting this city will be a breeze!" Trunks agreed.

"Well, let's not stop now! We got a job to do!" Gohan said.

"Then let's get to work!" Trunks seconded.

* * *

 **Metropolis, 18:45 pm**

Elsewhere, Raichi, Tao, and 19 had arrived at the Lex Corp. tower. The three looked at the tall tower in astonishment. "Impressive, this place looks fit for a successful business," Tao remarked. "Not even the Red Ribbon Army or the Capsule Corporation had a building this magnificent."

"We're not here to take in the scenery, Tao, we're here on business," Raichi reminded the assassin.

"Right, right, it's too bad we're not here to kill anyone," Tao said. "I haven't assassinated anyone in a while. I must be getting soft."

"19, scan the building and make sure our objective is inside," the Tuffle ordered.

"Scanning." 19 positioned its eyes at the top of Lex Corp. tower. "Scan complete, my sensors detect two beings at the top of the tower. One of them is human, and is most likely to be Lex Luthor. The other one is an Android. Below Lex's office are numerous humans, including heavily armed security guards."

"Hmm, this might be a fun job after all," Tao mused.

"We are not here to kill a bunch of meaningless humans," Raichi instructed. "But if Mr. Luthor refuses to cooperate, then you are free to do so, just not to him." This made Tao smirk anxiously as he licked his lips.

"So, how shall we present ourselves?" 19 inquired.

"It's rude to enter someone's place without knocking, so let's knock first," Raichi decided. 19 nodded before smirking; he then aimed his hand at the top of Lex Corp. and fired an energy blast. The head of the tower exploded. "Shall we?" Raichi asked. The three outworlders ascended to the top of the building; smoke filled the room as there were small fires in a few parts of it. The place was pitch black, cut wires hung everywhere, and worse, the desk was ruined. "Hmm, I really should get a customized desk, don't you think so, Mercy?" Luthor asked his bodyguard; she gave no answer, but just picked him up from behind his desk and hurried him to the door. Before they could get there, another energy blast intercepted their path; the two turned to see the Tuffle, the Android, and the Mercenary entering through the opening in the tower. "Now there's something you don't see every day," Lex said calmly. "Hello, gentlemen, how may I help you?"

"The infamous Lex Luthor, I've heard many things," Raichi commented.

"Rumors, but I assure you, not everything about me is the truth," Lex told them.

"Oh? So you're not Metropolis' rich boy, owner of the Lex Corp. industries, and rival to the Last Kryptonian, Superman?" Tao questioned.

"My reputation precedes me," Luthor said.

"You're also one of the public members of a powerful organization," Raichi went on. "An organization my colleague and I wish to join."

"Straight to the point, huh? I like that," Luthor noted. "However, getting into our little society isn't as easy as knocking on the front door, it is only those who we believe are beneficial to the evolution of the human race. My colleagues and I believe in a little motto known as survival of the fittest, as it is the only way mankind will become one of the strongest species in the cosmos. All of our members are intelligent, resourceful, durable, and much more."

"As are my colleague and I," Raichi countered.

"Is that so? They why don't we test that claim?" Lex asked before he snapped his fingers and said, "Mercy, attack!" His female bodyguard's right arm suddenly transformed into a laser blaster. The Mercy Android fired her laser at the Tuffle, but 19 quickly jumped in front of him and held up his hand. The blast hit 19's hand and was immediately absorbed; Mercy continued firing until 19 jumped at her. She attempted to take 19 hand-to-hand, but the superior Android quickly decimated the female Android and pinned it to the wall. "My, my, what an impressive Android you've created."

"My colleague is responsible for this Android and many others," Raichi corrected him. "Now do you see that we can be beneficial to your organization's plans?"

"Indeed, I am impressed," Luthor admitted. "However, you're not the first ones to attempt to join our organization. Many have tried, but weren't good enough to complete the task given to prove themselves."

"Anything your group presents us, we can handle," Tao declared determinedly. "This is the power of the Red Ribbon Army!"

"The Red Ribbon Army?" Lex inquired.

"It's our little group," Raichi explained.

"How cute," Lex remarked. He then pressed the device in his ear and spoke. "Yes, Odis, we're fine. I'm just having a little meeting, nothing to worry about."

"So, what do we have to do?" Raichi asked.

"I'll let you know when it's time to prove yourself. In the meantime, keep this." Lex tossed a cell phone to the RRA, which Tao caught. "We'll be in touch, gentlemen. Good day."

The three outworlders left the way they came and descended to the ground before Raichi finally spoke. "19, contact Dr. Zero please, and tell him… we've got our shot." Android 19 nodded and obeyed as the three journeyed back to their hideout.

* * *

 **August 16, 2011, 18:30 pm, Capsule Laboratory**

It had been a week since the Demi Saiyans began their little hero work, and in that time, they've stopped numerous robberies, stopped local fires, and saved many lives. Of course, Tokyo still had yet to know the identity of its mysterious new heroes as well as the world, since the Saiyans usually just swooped in, saved the day, and left once the job was done. The Saiyans didn't mind being secret heroes; they were just glad they could help. However, they were still on edge about Dr. Zero and his associates. The Android had left without a trace, and tracking him down seemed impossible. Trunks spent most of his time trying to find out new ways to locate Zero or figure out how he planned to rebuild the Red Ribbon Army.

Gohan, on the other hand, had occupied his thoughts by focusing on repairing Super Ranger. "Just as few more tweaks and you're good to go, 16, er, I mean, Ranger," the half Saiyan said. "Good thing too, 'cause we're not getting anywhere with tracking down the remaining members of the Red Ribbon Army."

Gohan put down his tools and went to retrieve 16's activation remote that he got from Gero's old lab. _"Maybe Ranger can detect Zero and the other Androids. After all, he could do it before,"_ he thought before he sighed. _"But Trunks may not trust him; he is Dr. Gero's creation and most of that twisted scientist's creations have caused nothing but pain and misery for the innocent."_ Gohan looked at the remote control with his hand twitching at the button. _"Still, I have to tell him."_

Suddenly, an alarm went off, and the lights of the laboratory were flashing red. "Gohan, get back to the house, now!" Trunks ordered from the speakers. The son of Goku put down the remote on the table and hurried out the lab door. He ran into the house where he saw Trunks suited up as the Saiyan Prince. "Here, catch!" he said, tossing Gohan a wristwatch.

"Uh, thanks, Trunks," Gohan responded awkwardly. "Now I'll always know the time."

"Just put it on and press the button," Trunks instructed.

Gohan complied as he placed the watch on his wrist; he inspected it first before finally pressing the button. The watch glowed, and in a flash, Gohan's clothes had changed into that of his Saiyan Ki armor (Scouter and headband included. Just like the Great Saiyaman's watch.) "Hey, I'm in my hero costume! Sweet, but how?" he asked his partner.

"It's a special watch that I designed," Trunks explained. "One push of the button and your clothes will automatically change into your superhero costume. It'll make changing easier."

"Cool! So what's the real reason you called me here?" Gohan inquired.

"There's trouble in Tokyo!" Trunks answered.

"What kind of trouble?" Gohan questioned.

"Meteor shower!" Trunks replied. The two Saiyans then transformed into Super Saiyans before taking off toward the city. The force of their departure caused the Capsule Laboratory to shake a bit and sent the activation remote plummeting toward the ground, button first. Super Ranger's eyes suddenly opened and he sat up slowly; he examined himself before looking outside the Laboratory. "Where am I? What's going on?" Ranger wondered. He then stood up and looked toward the sky before stepping out of the laboratory and leaving.

* * *

 **In Tokyo City…**

The Saiyans flew above the city, where citizens were scattered all over town, running and screaming in fear. The sky started to turn red as flaming rocks from space rained down on Tokyo. The Saiyans looked at each other before nodding. They flew to different places of the city, destroying as many meteors as a possible. Trunks went east and was vaporizing many of the plummeting rocks. The Saiyan Prince brought out his sword and started cutting some of the meteors into tiny pebbles while blasting the rest to dust.

Gohan took the west part of the city, destroying meteors along with saving the lives of the innocent. Gohan brought out his Power Pole and used it to smash the meteors to rubble. Both Super Saiyans were going around the entire town, and after 20 minutes of nonstop rock raining, the Saiyans manage to deflect every single one of the flaming stones. Just when they thought they had finished, a gigantic meteor appeared; acting quickly, Gohan and Trunks raised their hands above their heads and focused their energy into their palms. **"Masenko, ha!"** they cried as they fired at the large beam at the falling rock. The blast made contact with the meteor, and it exploded into millions of tiny pieces.

However, one of those pieces was bigger than the tiny ones. It was heading straight for a lone mother and her child. The woman grasped her daughter, who started Demi Saiyans rushed to save the woman, but before they could, a rocket fist was launched and hit the meteor dead on, causing it to citizens and the Saiyan looked over to where that rocket was launched and saw a man with icy blue eyes, a red-orange mohawk, and gold hoop earrings. His clothing consisted of a dark undersuit with a lime green vest, green boots, and green handcuffs. A small S and R logo was sewn to the left side of his battle jacket. His right eye was shielded by a green scouter. The Super Ranger flew over to the Saiyan, hoping to talk to them. "Is that Android 16?!" Trunks exclaimed in shock. "No, I mean yes, but I renamed him Super Ranger after I fixed him," Gohan revealed nervously.

Trunks looked at his comrade in surprise. "You fixed Android 16?!" he asked. "Where the heck did you even find his body to fix?!"

"Your… timeline," Gohan replied.

Before Trunks could say more, Super Ranger had appeared beside them. "Greetings, Saiyans. I believe you have an answer as to how I came into being here, as well as where here is," the Android said.

"Well, here is another dimension," Trunks answered. "As to how you're here, Gohan has the answer to that."

Before the son of Goku could explain, the citizens of Tokyo started cheering at their saviors. A news reporter was talking to a cameraman about how Tokyo now had three new heroes, but they didn't know who they were. The reporter attempted to get an interview with the heroes as they were waving them to come down. The three Z Fighters looked at each other, wondering if they should do this. Gohan just shrugged and said, "Guess it's about time they knew who's protecting their city." Trunks and Ranger nodded in agreement, and the three descended toward the news crew. They only answered the fundamental questions: who they were and what they did. After taking the interview, the Demi Saiyans and the Android flew back to their Capsule home to catch up with each other.

* * *

 **August 16, 2011, 19:30 pm, Capsule Laboratory**

Super Ranger, Saiyan Kid, and Saiyan Prince were sitting in the living room. The Saiyans were drinking soda while Ranger just sat there patiently. Once they were done, Trunks asked Ranger, "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Being killed by Cell," Ranger replied. "After that is nothing, before I woke up here."

"That's because your microchip, which possessed your AI, had shut down after your head was smashed," Gohan explained. "I managed to find it and secure it before it could be destroyed."

"Does this mean that you've defeated Cell?" Ranger questioned.

Gohan nodded. "I did, but not without a cost. I got cocky and made a mistake that forced my father to sacrifice himself to save everyone."

"So, how did you get 16, er, Ranger back online?" Trunks inquired.

"After the Cell Games, I went to Bulma and Dr. Briefs for help in repairing Ranger's damaged microchip," Gohan answered. "Then, we went to your timeline, where we found Dr. Gero's basement lab. That's where I found Android 16's damaged body that was shut down and his blueprints, so I took them. After we got to this dimension, I started working on how to get Ranger back online and link his present brain with his future one."

"So that's what you were spending all your time doing in the laboratory," Trunks realized, to which Gohan nodded. "But why didn't you tell me about this?"

Gohan looked away in sadness. "Because I wasn't sure how you'd react to Ranger," Gohan confessed. "I know you despise the creations of Dr. Gero, and that Ranger is no exception. I just didn't want you to overreact and try to destroy Super Ranger."

Trunks nodded in understanding as he put his hand on Gohan's shoulder. "It's fine, Gohan, you did the right thing. So, does this mean Ranger is fully repaired?" Trunks asked.

"Not really, I've still got a few things to work on," Gohan stated. "But since he's been activated, maybe Super Ranger can detect Dr. Zero's energy signals or any of the other Androids!"

"Dr. Zero?" Ranger questioned.

"He's a new Android from Trunks' timeline," Gohan answered. "He's in this dimension along with Androids 13, 14 19, and the Mercenary Tao."

"Dr. Zero plans on rebuilding the Red Ribbon Army," Trunks added. "We need to find and stop them before it's too late for both worlds!"

"So, does this mean we are a team now?" Ranger asked.

The half Saiyans looked at each other before nodding. "Yes, we'll need your help if we want to stop Android Zero," Gohan said.

"Then it's time to stop chatting and get back to work!" Trunks said. The three superheroes flew outside of the capsule home and headed toward the city of Tokyo to resume patrolling their new home.

* * *

 **August 17, 2011, 5:30 am, unknown location**

"So, how did the appointment go?" Zero asked Raichi.

"Very well, Mr. Luthor has assured us spots on his little organization," the Tuffle answered. "All we have to do is complete a few tasks they plan to assign for us."

"When will we be given these tasks?" Dr. Zero questioned.

At that moment, the cell phone that Lex had given Raichi started to ring; the Tuffle opened it up and said, "Looks like it's time for us to get to work."

"Meet me in Metropolis, it's time for your first task into getting into our organization," Lex Luthor spoke. Raichi nodded as he left the hideout with 13, 14, and 19 to go to Metropolis.

 **A/N: Done! Man, trying to type at night is tiresome, especially when I have to force myself to stay awake. I start to get lazy and my ideas begin to fade from my mind. Sorry that this chapter is short and not very exciting; I wasn't really into this chapter, almost lost my drive for writing this story, but I've still got it. Now, I want to wait until next year before getting back to this story again, and I plan to use the remaining time I have to work on two new fanfic ideas that I have before I forget them completely. If you want to know what they'll be about, check my profile, I've recently added them to my list of possible future fanfic ideas. I'll post both after we've entered the New Year and then I'll move back to my current stories. Hope you guys stay tuned and thank you for your reviews and support! TTFN AntiHero out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay, Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army is back! Thank you to those who have read,favorite, followed, or reviewed this story! This chapter will be part of the Young Justice series, but nothing too dramatic. For those who haven't seen the episode Targets, a few spoilers ahead, and those who have seen it, you know what happened in the episode so you should know if any parts have been skipped due to being irrelevant. Now time for the story!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Young Justice**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Mount Justice, September 7, 5:30 EDT**

Early in the morning, the members of the Team were hanging around their base. It had been 3 days since their mission in Bialya, where they encountered the telepath Psimon and lost 6 months of their memories. Although they managed to get their memories back, gained a new friend, and improved the relationship between Superboy and Miss Martian, the Team still felt like they failed since they hadn't figured out how Sphere was transported to Earth. It was clear the Biaylans had acquired Sphere from some alien planet and that their scientists were experimenting on her, but whatever brought her to Biayla wasn't a Zeta platform despite the signs of zeta radiation. When the Team got back and reported back to Batman, they were ordered to take it easy so that they could recall any memories they may not have gained back and recover both physically and mentally.

Although the protégé assured the Leaguers that they were fine, the Dark Knight insisted (or rather, ordered) that the Team take some time to relax. Now, they were all in the Cave, fully recovered and ready for a new assignment. Problem was, there didn't seem to be anything going on. Right now, Miss Martian was in the kitchen cooking, Artemis was checking her arrows, Aqualad was practicing his fighting skills, Superboy was tinkering with a broken motorcycle, and Robin and Kid Flash were… inspecting Sphere.

"What do you think it is?" Robin wondered.

"An extraterrestrial ball used to play catch," Kid Flash suggested.

"Don't think so," Robin said. He then brought out his 3-D scanner and held it at Sphere. "Whatever it is, there hasn't been anything like it on Earth."

"Do you think it can talk?" the speedster questioned.

"It hasn't said anything to us since we brought it here," Robin reasoned.

"Sure she has, you two just haven't been listening," Superboy commented. The alien object then made its engine-like beeping noise before backing away from the heroes-in-training. The sidekicks looked at each other with anxiety before moving closer to the Sphere. The Kryptonian clone, seeing his friend's discomfort, stopped what he was doing, walked over to his teammates, and picked them up by their costumes.

"Whoa, what's your problem?" Kid Flash questioned the clone.

"If you two were listening, you would know that she doesn't like being forcefully examined, kinda like before we met here," the Genomorph replied before dropping them as Sphere rolled behind him. He petted her to comfort her.

"Sorry SB, we just wanted to know what it was," Robin said.

" _She_ is my friend, that's all you need to know," Superboy answered.

"Superboy is correct," the Team leader added as he came over to his friends. "This Sphere was imprisoned and experimented against it's…uh, her will, just like he was. Now she has been rescued and given a chance at freedom after helping to save one of us. I believe she has proven to be trustworthy."

"Then maybe we should give it—I mean, _her_ —some space," Artemis suggested.

"Yeah, and now, Superboy has his own alien companion, like me!" Miss Martian commented.

"Hey, you could always be my alien companion, babe," Wally flirted with her.

Before anyone could respond to his comment, the team heard their boss summoning them through the cave's loudspeaker. "Team, report to the mission room!" Batman announced. The teens immediately stopped everything they were doing and made their way to the mission room. The six slowly walked down the hall, each expressing their own emotions.

"Alright! A mission, finally!" Kid Flash exclaimed. "It's about time, right?"

"Tell me about it!" Robin agreed. "This whole 'waiting to recover' thing has been depressing, but now, maybe things will get real pressing!"

"With the amount of waiting they made us do, this better be a good mission!" Superboy said.

"I'm sure the League just wanted us to be at full capacity," the Martian girl soothed as she put her hand on her friend's shoulder to comfort him.

"Yeah, but it's not like we suffered any serious injuries," the archer stated. "We just lost 6 months of our memories. We got them back and came back here in one piece."

"In any case, we should be glad we get a chance to make up for our less than adequate performance in Bialya," Aqualad said. "I hope we can restore their faith in us."

"I'm sure we can," M'gann responded, trying to stay optimistic.

The six teenage heroes entered the mission room where their supervisor and mission giver were in. Greeted by the neutral expressions of Batman and Red Tornado, it was hard to tell what kind of mission they would be receiving. Each team member exchanged looks as they waited for the debriefing; after a moment of silence, the Kryptonian clone got impatient and demanded, "What are we standing around for?! Do you have a mission for us or not?!" The Dark Knight glared at the Boy of Steel, which made his teammates cringe. Aqualad then held out his hand to keep his team in place before stepping forward toward the Leaguers.

"Apologies, Batman, but we were expecting to be given a mission," Kaldur explained. "I believe that is why you summoned us."

"I did summon you for a mission, but all of you need to be here for the debriefing," Batman spoke.

"But we're all here already," Kid Flash said. "Who else are we waiting for?" At that moment, the Zeta tube opened up and started glowing.

"Him," Batman replied.

" **Recognized, Red Arrow, B06,"** the computer announced as Green Arrow's ex-apprentice walked through the tube and entered Mount Justice. His expression was far from happy at being called to the junior Justice League's clubhouse while his closest friends were glad to see him.

"Speedy, I mean, Red Arrow! What's up?" Kid Flash greeted.

"It's good to see you, my friend," Aqualad said.

"So what brings you to the cave? Ready to join the team?" Robin inquired.

"No," Red Arrow replied sternly. "I was called here'cause your boss said he had something important to share with you, and told me that I needed to hear it, too."

"You do," the Dark Knight assured. He then brought up three screens, each with an image of three beings none of the team members knew of. The first screen was of a boy about 11 to 12 years old. He had spiky, gold hair and teal eyes, and he wore a navy blue bodysuit under a gold battle jacket with shoulder pads. He also had white gloves and boots, a red headband tied around his head, and a red staff in a sheath tied to his back. The second image was of a male teenager with the same spiky, gold hair and teal eyes as the first boy. His bodysuit was black while his battle jacket and shoulder pads were red. His gloves and boots were red, as was the cape. The teen also wore a necklace with a star on it. Underneath the cape was a sheathed sword strapped to the teenager's back. The third image was of a full grown man. His hair was a red-orange mohawk while his eyes were icy blue. His clothes consisted of a dark undersuit with a lime green vest, green boots, and green wrist guards.All three of them had a strange device placed over their right eye and ear that was colored blue, red, and green, respectively, and a red symbol in the shape of a triple arrow with small lines under it and a U-turn shape at the bottom. "About a month ago, the Watchtower detected an enormous power surge in Tokyo. I pretty sure the five of you remember being sent to investigate that area." He looked at the Team when he said that.

"Yeah, we found nothing but a large crater and traces of unknown energy signatures similar to Zeta radiation and another unknown source," Robin said. "It was untraceable." Aside from Artemis and Red Arrow, the team members had looks of disappointment at one of their dead end missions.

"We still had fun going there, right?" M'gann asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"A week after, these two made an appearance in Tokyo," Batman continued to explain as he pointed to the Demi Saiyans. "They began defending the city from any trouble and another week later, they were joined by this man. The three have been a team for weeks."

"Any idea who they are?" Aqualad inquired.

"The boy is known as the Saiyan Kid, the teen is the Saiyan Prince, and the man is called the Super Ranger," Red Tornado supplied.

"I remember hearing about these two," Kid Flash spoke up. "They were at the incident in Star Labs about two weeks ago."

"What happened at Star Labs?" Miss Martian asked.

"A couple of big guys broke in and stole some tech and these guys showed up," Wally explained. "Flash and I tried to stop them but they fled."

"What did the thieves look like?" Connor questioned.

"Didn't actually get a good look at their faces since they left in a hurry," the Speedster replied. "It was weird; the way they moved was fast, even for me!"

"Well, maybe you were having a slow day," Artemis suggested.

"I'm serious, those four at Star Labs were there for a second, and then the next, they disappeared like… in a flash," Wally said.

"It is strange to hear that there's anyone capable of outrunning a speedster," Kaldur mused.

"We encountered these two before," Robin suddenly recalled as he pointed to the Saiyans on the screen. His mentor nodded.

"Yes we have, in Gotham, two weeks ago," the Dark Knight confirmed.

 _ **Flashback – August 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **2011, 21:36**_

 _Nighttime in Gotham City, the streets were quiet, which was unusual since the criminal underworld in this place was most active at night. In a dark alley, the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder were fighting for their lives against Deathstroke and his new partner; but it wasn't the Terminator that was overtaking Gotham's hero, it was the new guy. The one taking on the Batman was a middle-aged man with_ _small, beady eyes, a pointed nose, a small thin mustache, and black hair in the form of a long ponytail. He wore a blue Chinese men's longcoat with the Kanji symbol "kill" on the chest area._

 _This new mercenary was clearly anything but new to the art of assassination; he managed to counter all of Batman's blows with ease, none of the Batarangs could injure him, and the explosive devices had no affect on him. This merc's skills in martial arts were far beyond even the Dark Knight's. While the mercenary's body was unscathed, Batman's suit had numerous red dots on it from the pressure point attacks he had suffered. His protégé wasn't having any better luck against the one-eyed assassin; both of Gotham defenders were badly bruised and at the mercy of their enemies. The mercenary had his hand in the form of a gun pointed at the Dark Knight while Deathstroke used his lance to pin Robin to the wall. The new merc's finger started glowing as it was aimed at the Dark Knight's chest, specifically where his heart was located._

" _I have to commend you for you persistence," Tao spoke. "Not many of my victims have survived an encounter with me for this long, only a certain monkey-tailed brat and his son. But that matters little to me since you're about to die now."_

 _Acting quick, Robin tossed a small grenade at Deathstroke's face; the assassin flinched back, allowing the sidekick to jump at Tao and attempt to kick him in the head. One second he was about to strike the immortal mercenary in the head; then the next, his target disappeared and he was struck hard in the chest by the person he tried to sneak attack. "Stay out of this, child, this is adult business!" Tao said. Robin tried to get up again but he was stomped on by the Terminator._

" _Stay down, boy. We're only here for Batman, so don't make me add another name to the list," Slade warned._

 _Batman attempted to fight one last time as he threw an explosive at Tao. The merc easily caught it and it exploded in his face. The Dark Knight rushed to attack the old assassin with his remaining strength but was elbow bashed back to the wall by an annoyed Tao. "Heroes never know when to quit," he muttered as he aimed his glowing finger at Batman. "But this will be over after you hear the bang!"_

" _Bang!" a voice said, but it wasn't Tao's. A small blue beam zoomed toward Tao's hand and collided with it, redirecting the merc's attack away from the Caped Crusader. Another blast struck Deathstroke in the chest, knocking him away from the Boy Wonder. Tao grasped his hand in pain as he looked upward; he spotted two Demi Saiyans in armor glowering down at him and Deathstroke, who got back up. "Did you really think you could hide from us while killing people, Tao?"the Prince questioned._

" _Saiyans!"Tao growled._

" _Say- what?!" Slade asked._

 _Trunks and Gohan looked toward the downed heroes to examine their conditions. "Those heroes don't look so good," Gohan commented from his observation. "Batman's got multiple bruises and the Boy Wonder seems to be unconscious. Their life forces are low but stable."_

" _Tao's still full of energy," Trunks noted. "That other assassin is not as strong as us or Tao, but his Ki is greater than most of the average martial artists in our world."_

" _Let's just get this over with so that when we capture Tao, we can question him about his comrades," the Saiyan Kid suggested._

" _I'll take Tao, you take his new partner," the Saiyan Prince said._

" _Sounds like a plan," Gohan agreed._

 _The Saiyans jumped down to the ground. Trunks brought out his sword and charged at Mercenary Tao while Gohan took on Deathstroke. Trunks swung his sword at Tao, who pulled out a capsule that transformed into a blade that he used to counter the Saiyan Prince's strike, and Gohan brought out his Power Pole and engaged Deathstroke in a bo staff battle. The Terminator swung his staff with superior skill in combat, but the Son of Goku's small size and better agility, reflexes, and speed put him on par with his opponent. Slade struck at Gohan numerous times while the Saiyan blocked with his pole; eventually, the assassin thrust his lance forward and the hybrid blocked it by turning his pole horizontally. Abruptly, electricity sparked from Deathstroke's staff and zapped Gohan, causing him to drop the Power Pole. "Not bad, kid, but you'll have to do better," Slade said._

" _No problem!" the Saiyan Kid assured. The assassin then jabbed his lance at the half Saiyan, but the boy quickly grabbed it and punched the Terminator multiple times before palm striking him into unconsciousness. "How's that for better?"_

 _The saiyan and the cyborg clashed with their swords; every swing created a small shockwave, and as they clashed, the blade of Tao's weapon slowly started to crack from Trunks' stronger sword density and superior strength. Eventually, Tao's blade snapped in half, leaving him unarmed. The mercenary backed away and channeled most of his Ki into his index finger. "Take this, Saiyan!_ _ **Super Dodon Wave!**_ _" He fired a massive energy ray at the son of Vegeta, but Trunks simply smacked it into the atmosphere with his hand. "_ Dammit, even with my cyber enhancements, I'm still no match for these half-alien freaks! _" he thought._

 _Tao then jumped to the side, barely dodging an attack from the Saiyan Kid. Both Demi Saiyans charged at the assassin. Tao managed to block a few of their attacks before being double kicked onto his back. Tao slowly stood up as the saiyans then stood together and held up their fingers; golden specs of light formed on their index fingers and started to expand by the second. Tao's eyes grew wide when he realized what the half-breeds were about to do. "Those positions, it can't be," he muttered in shock._

" _ **Double,"**_ _Gohan spoke._

" _ **Dodon,"**_ _Trunks said._

" _ **Pa!"**_ _they shouted at the same time. Two yellow beams of light shot out from their fingers and merged together as it flew toward the mercenary. The superheated blast struck Tao in the chest, knocking him flat on his back. Smoke came off his clothes as he groaned in pain. The killer stood up again, ripped off his_ _chang pao, and glared at his enemies. His chest was singed and blood slid down from his lip. "How dare you brats use my own technique on me!" he growled._

" _You're outmatched, Tao," Trunks stated. "Give up, it's over!"_

" _I don't think so, Saiyan!" Tao said. "As long as I'm still breathing, it's not over!"_

" _That can change in an instant," the Saiyan Prince warned as he held up his hand while channeling Ki into it._

" _What's Zero up to? What do you guys hope to gain from this world?!" Gohan questioned._

" _You don't actually expect me to tell you that, now do you, boy?" Tao replied._

" _You might as well since whatever he's planning isn't going to work," Trunks retorted. "He's got no research in this world, no lab for experiments, no data on the Z Fighters or their DNA, and his Androids are weak! Plus, he's about to be short one henchman!"_

" _I wouldn't be so sure about that," Tao said. "Although my new partner and I have been defeated, we will not be arrested or imprisoned. We'll have to flee for now."_

" _What makes you think we'll let you slip away?!"the Saiyan Kid asked. "Even if you flew away, we'd still be able to track your energy signal!"_

 _Tao smirked confidently at the boy's words. "You may be able to sense my energy, but can you sense this...?" he countered as he raised his right hand into the air. "DARK NIMBUS!" Instantly, a large black cloud zoomed toward the mercenary and stopped right beside his hand. The saiyans stared at the cloud with wide eyes._

" _Is that a somersaulting cloud?!" the Saiyan Kid asked._

" _Why is it black?!" the Saiyan Prince questioned._

" _This is just a little gift I got from your father's cat mentor," Tao explained. "This cloud is specifically different from the normal flying nimbus in that only the_ _ **pure evil**_ _can ride it!" The Mercenary Tao jumped onto his somersaulting cloud, which made the saiyans flinch. "Something's coming for you, Saiyans, something big! And no matter what, Dr. Zero will complete his goal! For now, aloha!"_

" _Do you really think that cloud is gonna allow you to escape us?!" Trunks asked. "Think again!"_

" _We can easily outspeed a flying nimbus!" Gohan stated. "You won't get far on that thing!"_

 _Tao smirked again; the Demi Saiyans were confused by the merc's confidence. "True, I doubt my nimbus will be able to fly faster than a Saiyan," Tao admitted. "But I have something to make up for that!" He then placed his hands beside his face; the saiyans stared in shock as they recognized the technique stance Tao was using. "Did you really think after training that Tri-clops for so long that I wouldn't pick up on at least one of his techniques?!" The saiyans jumped to stop the assassin, but they weren't quick enough._ _ **"Solar Flare!"**_ _Tao unleashed a bright blinding light; the sun technique nailed the Demi Saiyans right in the pupils, causing them to shut their eyes in pain. When they could finally reopen them, they saw that Tao had not only disappeared, but he took Deathstroke with him._

" _I knew it was a mistake to come without our scouters!" Trunks growled. "I can't believe we let him use that move on us!"_

" _We can worry about that later. For now, let's check on those two," Gohan decided as he pointed to the Dark Knight and the Boy Wonder. "They don't look so well, and their life forces are a bit low."_

 _Trunks then aimed his hand toward the Gotham heroes; he fired two Ki blasts, one at Batman and one at Robin. Their bodies emitted yellow flames for a moment before diminishing. "There, I've stabilized their life forces, but they've still got room to recover," the Saiyan Prince said. The Demi Saiyans went over to the heroes to pick them up; Trunks took Batman and Gohan took Robin. Batman's sidekick opened his eyes for a second to see the Saiyan Kid picking him up before passing out again. Flashback ends._

"The next thing I knew, we woke up in the very same alley, but our injuries were gone," Robin finished. "Almost like the fight never happened."

"And these guys were there?!" Wally exclaimed, to which his friend nodded.

"What about the old man who tried to kill you guys?" Superboy inquired.

Batman pressed a button on a remote, and another screen came up; this one had an image of the Mercenary Tao. "This man is known as Tao," he explained. "He's an incredible martial artist and a dangerous assassin, capable of killing people in ways that were considered impossible."

"Sounds like he would fit perfectly in the League of Shadows," Artemis remarked.

"Actually, this Mercenary Tao happens to be a new member of the Shadows," Tornado revealed. This made the teens' eyes widen a bit. "He's been assigned to perform a few tasks for the Shadows, including his attempt to kill Batman."

"But these guys stopped them," Red Arrow pointed out."So does that make them good or bad?"

"That's what I want the seven of you to find out," Batman said. "The Team will track down these rogue heroes and bring them in for questioning, hopefully without using force. And maybe they can tell us if they know anything about these three…" He pressed another button and revealed another screen with Androids 13, 14, and 19. "Two of these three were the thieves that robbed Star Labs. It's clear that these new threats are dangerous and we must act fast, that is, if the Team is up for it?" All of the protégés on the Team nodded eagerly, but Red Arrow shook his head.

"No thanks, this kind of thing is meant for the junior Justice League," the archer said.

"Why, don't think you can handle it?" Artemis asked.

"I've got better things to do than play some children's spy game," Roy answered, which made the Team glare at him.

"Look dude, just because you don't think this will prove that we're ready to be real heroes doesn't mean that you have to keep expressing that to us!" Kid Flash said. "This is what we do now, get used to it!"

"We've done just as much hero work as you, maybe even more!" Superboy stated as he got in Red Arrow's face. "We have a much better chance at becoming Earth's heroes than some sidekick gone rogue!"

"I doubt that," Roy said.

Superboy looked like he was about to punch the archer before Miss Martian put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down. Aqualad then walked up to his friend to address him. "The Team has accomplished a lot of things that would be comparable to what the League is capable of. Rescuing Superboy, defeating Twister, destroying Amazo, finding Sphere, and more. We even successfully protected Dr. Roquette, an assignment that _you_ presented to us.You may not think what we do here is real work, but we deserve respect for pulling off a few missions that no hero, even you, could do alone. And now, my friend, all we ask is for you to offer a little assistance in this new mission."

Green Arrow's ex-sidekick didn't reply for a moment, then he sighed and responded, "Maybe…I'll consider it."

"One more thing, this is also a test to see how the Team can handle future threats," Batman added. "Just know you'll only get one chance, and if you fail, the League will have to take over."

The Team nodded again. "We won't let you down, sir," Kaldur assured.

"It's yourselves you shouldn't let down," Batman said. The protégés and solo hero left the mission room while the heroes of the League stayed behind. Afterward, the young heroes dispersed to do their own thing. Red Arrow pulled Aqualad aside to ask him something.

"Do you really think your team will be able to bring those rogue heroes for questioning?" the archer asked.

"Although we do not know what these individuals are capable of, I believe my team and I can handle it," the leader answered. "It would be best if we did not make this the League's problem."

Red Arrow nodded. "Are you gonna be here later? I may need your team's Intel on something,"

"Another solo mission?" Kaldur inquired.

"Yeah, have you heard about the peace summit between the leaders of North and South Rhelasia happening in Taipei?" Arrow asked and Kaldur nodded. "Well, there's supposed to be a mystery arbitrator that will get both sides to compromise, and I need to make sure nothing happens to that negotiator so that there will be peace."

 **Tokyo, September 7, 20:25 NST, Secret Capsule Laboratory**

The Demi Saiyans were busy tinkering with a few machines they scavenged from the junkyard, trying to convert them into Capsule Corporation vehicles like aircrafts, submarines, and automobiles. The lavender-haired teen had suggested that they build a few of his grandfather's inventions with the hopes of helping this world like they did in their own. While they worked, their TV was on and they were watching the news. The news report from Taipei about the peace summit came on. "We have just witnessed an assassination attempt live! Thankfully, no one was hurt, including our mysterious Arbitrator… Lex Luthor?!" the reporter, Cat Grant, exclaimed.

"Why would someone want to kill the Arbitrator?" Gohan wondered.

"Someone clearly doesn't want the people of Rhelasia to come together in peace," Trunks answered. "So the real question is, who hired the hit man to kill this Lex Luthor?"

"Hit woman," Ranger corrected as he stepped into the lab. "The Assassin who tried to kill Mr. Luthor is a member of the League of Shadows named Cheshire."

"What's the League of Shadows?" Gohan inquired.

"The Shadows are a group of trained assassins," Ranger explained. "Most of its members are simple fighters, but the best in the League are individuals that have made names for themselves, like this Cheshire and the Shadows' leader, the Demon Head, Ra's al Ghul. Based on the attempted assassination, it seems to me that this Lex Luthor and Ra's are competitors in business."

"What makes this Lex Luthor such a threat to a group of assassins?" Trunks asked.

"Lex Luthor is the head of Lex Corp., a company that provides advanced technology, mostly illegal weapons used for war," Ranger supplied. "While Mr. Luthor provides superior weapons to win in battle, Ra's provides highly trained killers that can be hired to take out enemies of the clients. With the two sides both providing strong means to win wars, it's clear that they're trying to get ahead of the other in the business race, similar to the competition in the past between the Capsule Corporation and the Red Ribbon Army."

"So now, Lex Luthor will profit from this peace treaty if he can get the two Rhelasian leaders to agree on signing it, and they'll be under his guidance," Trunks speculated, and the Android nodded in response.

"Two sides that can profit from war… seems like it would be better for both businesses if the Shadows and Luthor worked together," Gohan suggested. "That way, they could both supply better soldiers and weapons for an even greater profit."

Super Ranger and Trunks looked at each other and thought about his words for a moment. "That does seem like a better way to improve both their businesses," 16 agreed.

"But if Lex and Ra's were working together, why would a Shadow assassin try to kill him?" Trunks questioned.

"Maybe Ra's wants Mr. Luthor dead so that he can take over his company," Gohan suggested.

"Maybe this assassin is doing this job against the leader's orders," Ranger said. "Perhaps one of the Rhelasian leaders hired Cheshire to kill Luthor so that would be no peace."

"Or maybe... Lex hired the Shadows to try and kill him in order to hide the fact that he's actually working with the Shadows," Trunks put in. "If there's anything I've learned, it's that nothing is what it seems to be."

"That would explain why Red Arrow was able to stop one of the Shadows best assassins," 16 said.

"I just remembered something: Tao had another assassin for a partner!" Gohan exclaimed. "What if that assassin we met in Gotham was a member of the League of Shadows?"

"Based on the description you gave about that assassin, he was most likely the infamous terminator, Deathstroke," Super Ranger stated. "And he is indeed a member of the Shadows."

"Does that mean Tao has joined the League of Shadows?" the son of Goku asked. "Could Dr. Zero and his goons be involved with this?!"

"Well, whatever the case, this crisis sounds worth investigating," the son of Vegeta said. "I'll head over to Taipei, blend in, and see how this peace summit goes."

"I'm going with you!" Saiyan Kid declared.

"Don't worry, Gohan, I can handle it," the Saiyan Prince assured his partner. "Besides, the two of you should stay here and keep an eye on Tokyo, make sure Zero and his flunkies don't trying anything if they suddenly resurface. Just be sure to call me if you see them or if you need help and I'll be sure to do the same." Trunks then picked up his sword, strapped it to his back, put on his jacket, placed his scouter in his pocket, and exited the Capsule Laboratory.

 **Taipei, September 7, 20:40 NST**

The peace summit was currently being held. However, it didn't look like peace was going to be achieved as General Li and Prime Minister Tseng were at each other's throats. Red Arrow, Lex's personal assistant, and many other people were standing behind the Rhelasian leaders and the Arbitrator who was calmly trying to keep the peace, despite the fact that he could be assassinated at any moment. Numerous photographers and other spectators were witnessing the summit, and among them was a teenager with spiky, gold hair tied in a ponytail, teal eyes, and a black tank top, black pants, yellow boots, a blue jacket with a double C logo on the right shoulder. He was watching the summit go on while attentively looking around for anything suspicious.

"The unification is unthinkable!" the General yelled.

"Our people no longer have anything in common!" the Prime Minister shouted.

"Gentlemen, this is mere rederic," Lex said. "Despite your differences, you both still share the appreciation for many things… such as, the exquisite art of the Rhelasian tea ceremony."

A young woman wearing face paint and a Chinese dress started walking toward the Rhelasian leader while carrying a food cart; she managed to get to the crowd before she was halted by Aquaman's protégé in a civilian jacket. "That is far enough… Cheshire," he stated, making the crowd, including the half Saiyan, to turn around in surprise. Red Arrow quickly pulled out an arrow from his quiver and aimed it at the assassin. Cheshire smirked as she pressed the button on the cart and pushed it toward the people; the Atlantean quickly used his powers to bend the water in the glasses of the leaders and used it to create a liquid barrier. The archer fired an arrow at the cart just before the barrier closed up, detonating it and knocked Cheshire backward. The explosion stretched to the windows as it pushed against the water shield, and the sidekick struggled to keep up the water wall. His jacket was ripped to shreds as his strength was fading when he was swiftly hit by a yellow ball of light, giving him the strength to hold his barrier.

When the explosion stopped, the Atlantean released the shield while trying to catch his breath, and the cat assassin laid on the ground. She groaned as she stood up to face the young heroes before her. Aqualad ripped off his jacket as Red Arrow brought out another arrow. "It's over, Cheshire!" the archer declared.

"You would think so," she replied with a smirk. A helicopter suddenly flew beside the broken window; inside it were Sportsmaster, Mercenary Tao, and multiple minor shadow assassins. The bodyguards of General Li and Prime Minister Tseng rushed to fight as the assassins entered the building.

"Think we can take all three of them?" Red Arrow asked his friend.

"If it was just Sportsmaster and Cheshire, then yes," Kaldur answered. "But I don't think we can take them both along with the mercenary who managed to defeat Batman."

"Then why don't you leave him to me!" Trunks spoke from behind them as he put on his scouter; the Saiyan Prince then pulled out his sword and charged at the old assassin. Tao brought his capsule sword out and opened it to grab his weapon which he used to counter the Saiyan's strike. "Tao!" Trunks stated.

"Saiyan!" Tao exclaimed as he began clashing with the Z Fighter.

"That man looks like the Saiyan Prince," Aqualad realized. "Why is he here?"

"Questions later; for now, let those two duke it out!" Red Arrow instructed as he readied his bow. "Aqualad, you take Sportsmaster! Cheshire's mine!"

"So territorial and only our third date," Cheshire teased. The half-Atlantean ran toward the female assassin as the archer fired an arrow at her; she deflected it with her sai, allowing Kaldur to flip over her and proceed to battle Sportsmaster, who was easily knocking aside the bodyguards. He was then bashed in the mask by Aqualad's water mace. The team leader swung again but the assassin blocked it with the armor on his left arm. Sportsmaster brought out a javelin and attempted to jab the protégé but he quickly dodged the strike.

The ex-sidekick fired arrows continuously at the cat assassin but she easily deflected them with her sais. "You called one of your little sidekick friends, but didn't you tell me they weren't in your league?" she asked the archer. Hearing this comment distracted Aqualad from his fight, giving Sportsmaster the chance to knock him to the ground. The assassin then brought his own mace smashed it on the ground, barely missing Aqualad when he rolled to the side to evade the attack. Assassins and bodyguards continued fight while Lex Luthor watched attentively; his eyes landed on the sword duel between the Super Saiyan and the Master Assassin.

Trunks swung his blade at Tao, who blocked it with his own. Tao then jumped over the Saiyan and tried to slash him from behind, but the half-breed easily ducked under the attack and elbow bashed the mercenary in the jaw. Tao backflipped away and fired a blast at the Demi Saiyan. Trunks deflected it and countered with his own energy attack that Tao dodged. The two charged at each other again and clashed swords. "I see you've made some new friends, Tao," Trunks said. "And now you're doing the League of Shadows' dirty work. I didn't think you'd stoop to being someone's lapdog!"

"I'm no one's lapdog, brat!" Tao growled. "And if I manage to complete this job, I'll be paid handsomely. Plus, as a bonus, it'll get support for Dr. Zero."

Trunks glared at the merc as he swung his sword again. "What's Zero's plan?! Why is he working with the Shadows?!" he questioned his opponent.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Saiyan," Tao answered before he kicked Trunks away and fired a yellow beam at him; the Saiyan quickly dodged it before he realized that it was headed right for the head of Lex Corp. The son of Vegeta phased in front of the beam and deflected it with his Brave Sword. He then aimed his hand at the assassin and fired a kiai that blew Tao into the wall. Tao freed himself and pointed his blade at the half-Saiyan. "All you need to know, Saiyan, is that Zero plans something big, and this world has everything he needs to create the perfect soldiers for his army, and when the time is right, that army will destroy you and that despicable son of Goku!" The two swordsmen rushed at each other again and resumed fighting.

Red Arrow was barely keeping up with Cheshire. After getting in a few hits on him, she backed away and threw razor disks at him, but the archer easily deflected them with his bow. With Aqualad, the half-Atlantean was evading numerous strikes from Sportsmaster, who was using his fencing skills to gain the upper hand in the fight. Aqualad then shifted his water weapons into dual swords and took a defensive stance. "Not bad, lad," Sportsmaster complimented the sidekick while holding his rapier to his face. "Better than your team did in Santa Prisca… or Bialya."

"How did you—?" Aqualad started to ask before he was interrupted.

"Let's just say I have an inside source. _Very_ inside," the assassin answered.

Aqualad stood his ground as his best friend stood behind him with an arrow aimed at Sportsmaster. He then looked up and saw the automatic sprinkling, which gave him an idea. "Aqualad, let's end this!" he declared as he launched an arrow at the sprinkler. The arrow crashed into one of the sprinklers, creating a smoke cloud that set the other sprinklers off. The room was immediately filled with water, giving the Atlantean more power. Kaldur used the water to create a giant eel that took out all of the assassins aside from Cheshire, Sportsmaster, and Tao. The three regrouped and Cheshire put on her mask and threw a grenade at the eel, causing it to evaporate from the explosion. The room was filled with smoke, preventing the heroes and the civilians from seeing anything. A minor assassin suddenly leaped out of the smoke, attempting to strike the Rhelasian leaders with two swords.

"Mercy," Luthor ordered, and his assistant lifted her right arm; it shifted into a laser blaster that she used to shoot down the assassin. The young heroes turned to the hole in building but the Shadows had already escaped. The Rhelasians stared at the Android in astonishment as she concealed her weapon. "Gives new meaning to the 'Arms Race,' doesn't she?" Lex asked while smiling. The General and the Prime Minister sighed in relief and shook Luthor's hands in gratitude.

"That technology is most impressive, Luthor," Li stated.

"We owe you our lives, sir," Tseng said.

Red Arrow and Aqualad glanced at the leaders and the arbitrator. "They owe _him_ their lives?" Red Arrow scoffed.

"Yes, quite an accomplishment for Lex Luthor," Cat Grant reported. "Under his leadership, North and South Rhelasia are both signing a treaty, which could eventually lead to reunification." Many people were taking pictures as Li and Tseng were signing the treaty.

"Maybe my suspicions on him were wrong," Trunks muttered as he walked over to the entrance and looked outside. _"There's no sign of them, dammit!"_ he thought before he glanced at Mercy. _"Another Android. Thought I'd seen enough of those back in my world."_ He then sensed Red Arrow and Aqualad behind him with their weapons at his back. "Is there a problem?" he asked.

"You're the Say Prince guy from Tokyo, right?" the archer questioned. "What are you doing here?!"

"It's the _Saiyan_ Prince," Trunks corrected him. "And I came here to stop Tao from preventing this treaty from being signed."

"What exactly is your business with the Mercenary Tao?" Aqualad inquired.

"He's an enemy of mine, and I need to question him on the whereabouts and schemes of his master," the son of Vegeta replied. "He's involved in something dangerous."

"And you think you have the right to go after him by playing hero?!" Red Arrow asked. "You're just some teen trying to be in the same league as the big guys!"

"Look who's talking! I heard how you believe your friends weren't good enough to be in your league, yet you needed one of them to handle some big guy so you could get some alone time with your girlfriend!" the Saiyan accused.

"She's not my girlfriend, and that's the least of your problems because you're gonna have to come with us for questioning!" Arrow said.

"I don't think so, pal. Since I've lost Tao, I've gotta regroup with my crew and pick up on his trail again," Trunks argued.

"I don't care, you're coming with us one way or another!" the archer declared.

"Or what? You gonna arrest me?" the Demi Saiyan asked mockingly.

"We do not wish to use unnecessary force," Aqualad told him. "But if you do not comply, then it will be necessary."

"Like I said before, I need to track down Tao and his boss as soon as possible," Trunks repeated. "So I've got to go now, maybe some other time."

Red Arrow tightened his grip on his bow. "And just how do you think you're gonna get away from us?!" he questioned the Z Fighter. "You gonna drop from this window and fly away?"

The Saiyan Prince smirked before saying, "Thanks for the idea." He then jumped out the window, which shocked the young heroes; they glanced outside and saw the half-breed ascend into the sky. Red Arrow shot an arrow at the Saiyan, but he held up his arm to block it, letting it hit his jacket, before tossing the arrow aside. "Nice shot," he said before he disappeared from their sight. The two heroes looked at each other before glancing at the Rhelasian leaders and Lex Luthor, who were smiling in front of the cameras and standing side by side.

"I can't believe we just did a solid for Lex Luthor," the Archer said in disbelief.

"Not for Luthor, for peace," the Atlantean corrected his friend. "Beyond that, if Ra's or the Shadows wanted to sabotage the summit, the signing of the treaty renders their contract moot." The two heroes exited the summit and entered the street. "It's over."

"Is it? I heard what Sportsmaster said. Do you really think there's a mole on your team feeding him Intel?" Arrow questioned.

"I cannot rule out the possibility," the team leader admitted. "I will investigate…quietly."

"Not tell them?" Arrow asked.

"I do not want the union unraveling over baseless suspicions, and if there is a mole, I have no wish to tip him… or her off," Kaldur explained.

"Good luck with that." Roy saluted him before turning to leave.

"One moment, my friend. Tonight, you could've called Green Arrow or the Justice League for help," Aqualad pointed out. "Instead, your first instinct was to contact the cave."

"You're right, the team deserves…has… my respect," Red Arrow admitted. "I'm still getting used to this solo hero stuff, but if you need me, I'll be there."

"Then perhaps you'll consider helping the team track down the Saiyan Prince and his allies?" Aqualad inquired.

Red Arrow held up a cell phone, with the screen having a blinking dot under the word tracking. "Sure thing," he said while smiling. The two young heroes shook hands.

 **Tokyo, September 7, 21:35 NST, Secret Capsule Laboratory**

The Saiyan Prince landed by his secret base and went inside. He was greeted by his fellow Saiyan friend, who was preparing dinner with Android 16. The son of Goku noticed his partner coming and greeted him. "Hey Prince, how'd the summit go?"

"I saw Tao there, but he got away," Trunks replied in frustration.

"Well, at least the summit was a success, right?" Gohan tried to cheer him up.

"Yeah, but now Tao and his friends are still out there, they've teamed up with some dangerous criminals, we still don't know what Zero's planning, and worse, this world's heroes are out to get us!" Trunks exclaimed.

"It matters little," Ranger said. "We're not meant to interfere with the affairs of this world. We just need to find Zero and stop him."

"Yeah, I guess," Trunks agreed.

"Don't worry, Trunks, we'll find them," Gohan assured his friend. "They can't hide forever."

Trunks smiled at his partner before saying, "I'm going to train inside the gravity chamber, call me when dinner's ready or if anything happens." He then picked up the capsule for the chamber before taking off his jacket and tossing it aside, completely unaware of the tracking device that was on it and active…

 **The next morning, Metropolis**

The head of Lex Corp. was in his tower pouring drinks into two glasses while talking. "That went well," Lex said to the guest in his office. "Both Li and Tseng were quite impressed with Mercy's… equipment, and are literally buying into the peace. Our plan to ensure the eventual reunification of Rhelasia under Lex Corp's political guidance is a success." He handed the 2nd glass to his guest, who turned out to be Ra's al Ghul, and the two clinked their glasses together.

"And thus another corner of the world… sees the light," the Demon's head said as he smiled.

"I have to say, your new recruit's assassination skills are quite impressive," Luthor commented. "He may be beyond most of your followers."

"Yes, Tao's ways of killing are different from our own, but they are effective," Ra's agreed. "He may be on our side now, but I believe he's only complying because of his boss's orders. He seems to be incredibly dangerous, as are the rest of his allies and the enemies he has trying to track him down. Have you managed to learn anything more about our new friends?"

"Nothing yet, Dr. Raichi wishes to keep things about his colleagues to himself until he's one with the light," Luthor told him. "Or, as we've had them believe, the Injustice League."

"We'll just have to keep testing them with missions until we're sure they'll be useful to our cause," the Assassin leader decided. "Have you given them their next assignment yet?"

"Not yet, but it'll be worth the wait to see how they'll fare against alien heroes," Lex said. "According to Raichi, they have experience in this kind of thing."

 **Unknown Location**

"So, how did the mission go?" Raichi inquired to Tao as he entered their lair.

"A complete success according to Luthor and Ra's," the mercenary answered, "but a waste of time to me. I, an assassin, was restricted from killing anyone!"

"The greatest assassins are the one who do what they can without killing," Zero said. "Because that means when they cut loose, there's no one who can stop them."

"Except the Saiyans, by which one of them managed to find me at the summit," Tao scoffed "This is what the great Mercenary Tao has been reduced to: some lowly organization's lapdog who runs with his tail between his legs."

"You're no one's lapdog," Zero assured. "None of us are. Luthor and his little group may think that they're using us, but we're using them to gain every resource, every power, everything necessary to achieve our goal. And when the Red Ribbon Army is finally reborn and ready to attack, no one, not the Light, not the Justice League, not even those Saiyans, will be able to stop us!" Suddenly, the cell phone started to ring, meaning that Lex Luthor was trying to contact them. "But for now, we comply with their demands." The Android Zero then vanished as Tao picked up the phone and answered it.

"Tell Raichi to send some of his men to Metropolis again, it's time for your next assignment," Luthor spoke. "Meet me at Lex Corp. in my office, there's a specific item that you'll need for this particular mission." Tao nodded before closing the cell phone and looking toward Raichi, who nodded to him. The merc then left to inform 13, 14, and 19 of their next assignment in the Man of Steel's city.

 **A/N: Done with this chapter! Now to move on to the next, where the Team will encounter the Demi Saiyans thanks to the tracker Red Arrow put on the Saiyan Prince. (Oops, spoilers!) Will they be able to bring them in or not? Who knows… aside from me! What's Zero's plan? Gonna have to wait a long time before I tell you that! What's Luthor's next assignment for them? You'll find out in the next chapter, just stay tuned for the next chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army! Thanks to those who favorite, followed, and reviewed this story, keep 'em coming! Until next time, TTFN, AntiHero out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm back! Here's another chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army and I think you'll really like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Young Justice**

 **Chapter 6**

 **New Orleans, September 14, 16:53 CDT**

On the Louisiana Bridge, a few of the bars were broken as a fight between two heroes and two villains transpired. Superman and Martian Manhunter flew above the bridge, deflecting cars that were being tossed at them. "This is Cat Grant, reporting live from New Orleans French quarter, where the Martian Manhunter and Superman are in mid-battle with the so-called Terror Twins, who have been on a three-stage rampage through the south," the reporter stated. The super strong teens then jumped at the Leaguers; they were easily caught and tossed into a warehouse by the aliens. The twins crashed through the roof and landed hard on the ground; as they stood and looked around, they were grabbed from behind by Red Tornado and Aqualad. The heroes placed strange collars on the twins, sapping away their strength so that apprehending them was easy.

"That don't feel right," a surprised Tommy Terror said. "My strength! But I'd done just gone toe-to-toe with Superman!"

"Congratulations, that's more quality time than he's ever given me," Superboy commented as he appeared, looking exactly like Tommy Terror. Miss Martian stood beside him before walking over to Tuffin Terror. "Got cher inspiration, sister Tuffins?" he asked the Martian, using an accent similar to Tommy's.

"I believe I do, Brother Tommy," Megan replied as she morphed into the female Terror and went back to Conner.

"Somebody tell me what the heck's going on?" Tommy demanded.

Batman suddenly came up behind the pseudo Terror Twins and said, "It's simple. They're under arrest," before placing the same collars around their necks. ( **A/N: This is just to tell you where I'm up to in this story, this chapter will not contain the full episode.)**

 **Unknown Location**

Inside their lair, 13, 14, and 19 were watching the news; they had just seen Cat Grant's live report about the battle between the alien leaguers and the Terror Twins. They shut off the television after watching the police arrest the super strong delinquents and the Leaguers wave to the camera and their audience before flying off in different directions. "The Kryptonian should be arriving at Metropolis shortly," Android 19 stated.

"Then you'd better get there to welcome him," Dr. Raichi said as he appeared on his floating ball.

"No worries, doc, he'll get quite the surprise from us!" 13 assured the Tuffle. "Tell the boss we'll be back in a jiff." The three mechanical warriors then exited the lair, leaving the ghost warrior alone.

"The Light thinks that we're their lapdogs, but we'll show them that they can't deny us what we want for long," Raichi murmured.

 **Metropolis**

The Man of Steel flew back to his home city. He sailed over the city, waving to anyone that got a glimpse of him. "It sure feels good to be home," he said to himself. Suddenly, he was struck in the back by an energy blast; it knocked him out of the sky and sent him plummeting, crashing through a building and into the street. People gathered around the crater where their hero had landed. "Well, didn't much to make that city boy buckle," a voice remarked from the sky. The citizens of Metropolis looked up to see Androids 13, 14, and 19 hovering over their city. Superman then flew out of the crater and into the sky; he stopped in front of his attackers and gazed at them.

"Seriously, first the Terror Twins and now this," the Kryptonian groaned. "Alright, so who are you guys?"

"Meet your unlucky numbers, boy: 13, 14, and 19!" 13 introduced himself and his comrades.

"Okay," the confused hero said. "So what do you want?"

"Ain't it obvious? To give you a real ass whooping, boy!" Thirteen answered with a smirk.

Superman raised an eyebrow at the Red Ribbon soldiers. " _I can't hear their heartbeats,_ " the Man of Steel thought before he used his x-ray vision to see their insides; he was expecting to see human organs, but what he actually saw were cybernetic parts. "What are you, machines?"

"Androids," 19 corrected.

"What, were you built by Lex to destroy me?" the Kryptonian questioned.

"No, we weren't," 14 said.

"Then why do you want to kill me?"

"It's just a job, city boy," 13 said. "And if you even think about calling your little friends for help…" The Android then fired an energy blast at a nearby building; Superman quickly flew to intercept the blast and swatted it into space before looking back at the Androids. "We'll bring this whole darn place down in a few seconds, and you wouldn't want that, would you?" Superman glowered darkly at the Androids but nodded in compliance with their terms. "Atta boy! Alright you Indians, let's get 'em!" The three mechanical men suddenly flew at the Kryptonian; 14 got to him first and tried to punch the alien hero, but Superman grabbed his fist and tossed him into the ground. Thirteen got to him next but was stopped by his freeze breath; the iced Android was then knocked into the earth by the Kryptonian. 19 made an attempt to grab the superhero, but he used his super speed to evade every strike. Superman then punched him in the face, but 19 simply smirked and kicked him in the gut, making him cringe.

"Machines don't feel pain, unlike you, Kryptonian!" 19 mocked the alien.

"Then maybe you'll feel this!" Superman said as he fired red laser beams from his eyes. 19 just smiled as he fired his own eye beams to counter the heat vision. The two beams collided and made an explosion in between the fighters. Superman stared at the smiling Android with shock before his expression turned serious. "Guess I'll just have to take you apart with my fists!" he exclaimed as he charged at 19 with his fists ready. 19 was still smirking as the alien hero threw two punches at him. The chubby Android grabbed the Man of Steel's fists and easily held against his strength. Suddenly, the Kryptonian started to get weaker. His arms kept quivering as he pushed against Nineteen. _"What's happening to my strength?"_ he wondered before he freed his hands from the Android's grasp and moved away from him.

"That's some nice energy you've got," 19 sneered. "I can't wait to absorb it all!"

"My… energy?" Superman repeated. He was then punched in the face by 13 before getting kicked in the back by 14. "Man, these guys are actually hurting me a little bit," he muttered.

The three Androids then aimed their hands at the Man of Steel and channeled their energy into them; they fired multiple energy blasts at the Kryptonian, who shielded his face with his arms. After getting hit by numerous energy attacks, Superman quickly flew upward and the Androids flew after him. Superman then stopped above the clouds and took a deep breath; 13 and 14 appeared at his sides and tried to punch him. The Man of Steel easily blocked their fists, which surprised the mechanical warriors before they were slammed together by the hero. 19 then appeared in front of the Kryptonian and reached to grab him. Superman quickly slammed 13 and 14 into 19 and the three Androids were sent into the ground.

13 got up first and charged at the superhero. He threw multiple punches and kicks at the Kryptonian, who managed to evade every strike. Superman then phased behind the Android and put him in a stranglehold. "Now that's more like it, boy! Finally got you to get serious huh?" 13 said.

"Now I'm gonna end this!" Superman declared.

"I don't think so, city boy! This little scuffle here is just getting started!" 13 retorted.

"I doubt you can overpower me now!" Superman said.

"Maybe I could, if I had… this!" 13 reached into his vest pocket and pulled out something: a small, green glowing rock. The Man of Steel's eyes grew wide as his body started to ache and he got significantly weaker. He released the Android and started grasping his head in pain. "That's right, city boy! We know all there is to know about cha!" Thirteen said. "That your power is drawn from that there sun and that this little space rock here can weaken you!" 13 then punched Superman in the chin, sending him plummeting toward the city. He crashed into a tall building, causing it to tip over; the alien hero flew in front of it and caught it before it could crush the innocent bystanders. After putting it back in place, he was struck in the back by 19's eye beams. The chubby Android then flew in front of the Kryptonian and punched him multiple times. He then grabbed the superhero by the neck and started absorbing his life force. Superman struggled against the Android's grip before he managed to muster up enough strength to force 19 to let go of his neck and toss him aside. The Man of Steel took heavy breaths as the Androids surrounded him. They then started flying around him rapidly, creating a sort of dome to imprison the alien. **(A/N: The one Baby Gohan and Baby Goten used on Vegeta in GT.)**

Inside the dome, the Kryptonian was being pelted by numerous energy attacks from the Androids. The eventual collision of Ki blasts caused the dome to explode, sending the alien hero plummeting into the ground. The three Androids descended to the ground and approached the fallen hero; 14 then picked him up and held him. 13 pulled out the kryptonite that started weakening the Kryptonian again. 19 then grabbed his neck and mouth to absorb his life force once more. People watched in horror as their hero was being slowly stripped of his life.

 **Tokyo,** **September 14 2011, 18:05pm, Capsule Home/Laboratory**

Gohan sat on the couch with Icarus beside him; he was reading a few books while the TV was on. The channel suddenly changed to a news report in the city of Metropolis. "Everyone watches with fear as the Man of Steel is helpless against these new threats. The question on everyone's mind is: where is our hero's hero?!" the reporter said. Gohan's face turned serious. He put his books down and brought his costume watch; he pressed the button, immediately changing into his Saiyan Armor before putting on his headband and scouter. Icarus started nudging the Son of Goku. "You should stay here, Icarus, it's too dangerous," Gohan told the dragon. Icarus persisted and started licking the Demi Saiyan's face. "Heh, heh! Alright, you can come too, boy!" The two then made their way toward the Gravity chamber. They went inside to see Trunks and Ranger sparring together. They stopped when they saw the spiky, black-haired Saiyan coming toward them in his armor.

"Gohan, are you going out on a solo patrol?" Trunks inquired.

"No, something serious is happening in Metropolis," Gohan replied. "Superman is being attacked by Androids 13, 14, and 19!"

Trunks' and Ranger's faces became serious. "I'll go suit up!" the Saiyan Prince said before he left the chamber. Ranger went over to the controls and shut off the gravity simulation before going over to the Son of Goku.

"Are you positive that my brethren are the ones attacking the Superhero?" he asked the boy.

"I'd recognize the machines that attempted to kill my father anywhere," Gohan answered before asking, "Why do you think Zero would send them to attack Superman?"

"I do not know," Ranger admitted. "It is not like Dr. Gero to send his soldiers to attack without gathering enough data on his enemies, and if Android Zero is made to think like him, then he would not make the same mistake."

"Well, whether it was intentional or not, the fact is that those machines made a mistake," Trunks said as he appeared in his Saiyan Prince armor. "They attacked a hero and endangered innocent people, so now they're gonna pay big time!"

"Let's stop the Red Ribbon Army just like dad did!" Gohan cheered. The three heroes and the dragon then left their Capsule lair and returned it to its Dyno-Cap form. "Super Ranger, can you locate Metropolis with your built-in GPS?"

The Android nodded and glanced out into the sky; in a few seconds, his eyes flashed and he pointed west. "Metropolis is in that direction. Follow me." Super Ranger took off to the skies and headed straight for Metropolis with the Demi Saiyans and Icarus right behind him.

 **Metropolis**

The Man of Steel was crying in agony as 19 continued to drain his Ki. Thirteen held the Kryptonite out to ensure that the Kryptonian would be too weak to fight back. "Ha ha! How could this worm be one of the greatest heroes in existence?!" 19 laughed. "He didn't even last half as long as Son Goku did! His life force is almost extinguished!" Suddenly, 13, 14, and 19's sensors started to go off like crazy. "I'm detecting three essentially powerful life forces close by!"

"It's those darn monkeys!" 13 snarled.

"The signal feels like it is coming… from above us," 14 stated. The three Androids looked up to see the Saiyan Prince, Saiyan Kid, and Super Ranger descending toward them. Trunks pulled out his sword and swung it down, severing 19's hand from his arm before he could react. Gohan kicked 13 away while Ranger elbow bashed 14. The two Androids crashed into buildings while 19 backed away from the Son of Vegeta. The Kryptonian began to fall to the ground since the hand that was holding him had been sliced from its owner, but was quickly caught by Gohan's trusty dragon. The heroes descended to the ground and regrouped, as did the Androids. "It's the monkeys and their pet Android," Fourteen noted.

"Just what are you walking trashcans up to?!" Trunks demanded.

"None of your business, city boy," Thirteen retorted. "Now if you know what's good fer ya, you'll hightail it out of here!"

"Not gonna happen!" Trunks denied.

"Brothers, why do you wish to bring harm to this Kryptonian?" Ranger inquired.

"We're not brothers to a traitor!" 19 sneered.

"And we have personal business with this alien, that of which does not concern you!" 14 stated.

"Now, we're going to warn you one more time!" 13 said. "Scram or die!"

The Z Fighters looked at each other before looking back at the Red Ribbon Androids "You were right, 14, you're no brothers of Ranger," Gohan said.

"And we're not going anywhere until we stop you from hurting that hero any further!" Trunks proclaimed. The Saiyans then brought their weapons up while Super Ranger took a fighting stance. The Androids glared at the Z Fighters before preparing to fight as well. The two sides stared at each for some a few seconds before they charged at each other to fight.

 **Moments Later… Unknown Location**

The Red Ribbon Androids had entered their secret lair. Their bodies were damaged; sparks flew off them as their cybernetics grew unstable. They stepped into the lab, where they found Dr. Raichi working on another machine with Mercenary Tao standing at his side. "The mission was a failure?" the Tuffle questioned without looking at his comrades; the Androids nodded in shame.

"Those Saiyans are becoming a real nuisance as the days go by," Tao growled. "Did you at least get what we require?"

Thirteen smiled as he brought out a small veil filled with red liquid. "Heads up, doc!" he said before tossing the veil to the ghost warriors, who caught it with his telekinesis. Dr. Raichi examined the small blood-filled container before smirking.

"Zero should still be able to carry out his plans," the Tuffle said. "Those monkeys can continue playing the hero, but they'll never be able to stop what's coming."

"We may not live long enough for the plan to take action," 19 said. "It's pretty obvious that 16 was built to be the strongest, so his power far surpasses our own. And it's clear that the Saiyans' strength is much greater than our data of says, that's why we always have to retreat. But we can't keep running forever."

Raichi thought for a moment before replying, "Yes. I think it's time we did some winning rather than retreating. We must show these Saiyans that we will stop at nothing till they're dead and we've accomplished our ultimate goal. I believe it's time for some new upgrades… and new recruits."

 **Mount Justice, September 18 20:30 EDT**

The team had gathered in the mission room, where they saw their den mother, Red Tornado waiting for them. On the holo-screen was an image of the Z Fighters. The six teens glanced at each other as they suspected what they were called to talk about. "Greetings, team. I'm aware that some of you had recently finished your missions and would prefer to… relax, but there is an important matter to discuss," Red Tornado said. "A few days ago, Superman was attacked."

"Well, that's not much of a surprise," Kid Flash said. "Someone's always trying to take out the big guy, but they never succeed."

"These three were close," Tornado told him as a screen with the androids on it came up. "Superman was in critical condition when he was taken to the Watchtower."

"So is he alright now?" Miss Martian asked.

"Of course he is, he's Superman," Conner said. "No way could these three take him out!"

"But they came close," Artemis reminded him.

"Who are they?" Kaldur questioned.

"They call themselves 13, 14, and 19. They are a trio of Androids, like me," Tornado explained.

"Except they're not like you," Robin stated. "Someone has to have like… super intelligence and a lot of free time if they can build nineteen super strong machines like these three."

"What exactly are their powers? How can they do all that they can?" Kaldur inquired.

"We do not know. Their abilities are not known among the capabilities of even Meta-humans, and they don't appear to be copying powers like Amazo," Red Tornado explicated. "However, we learned that the one called 19 has the ability to absorb energy from others through his palms, and if he holds on for too long, the victim could die."

The six young heroes looked at each other before Conner asked, "So, what does the fact that these goons failed to kill a Kryptonian have to do with the other three or us?"

At that moment, the zeta entrance to the cave activated and Red Arrow walked in. "Because those so-called heroes are the one who saved Superman. In case you care to know how you dad survived, it's thanks to them," he said.

Superboy glared at the archer but was stopped from making a move by his girlfriend. "So, are these guys androids, too?" the Martian asked.

"Yeah, maybe they were all built by the same wacko scientist, and the three heroes are trying to infiltrate the Team or the League," Wally suggested.

"Although these six share the same powers, the two teens that saved Superman are neither machines nor humans, while their comrade Ranger is indeed… another Android." The team seemed to notice the robot's hesitation in mentioning the Super Ranger.

"Is something wrong, Tornado?" Kaldur inquired.

"Forgive me, I appear to feel a slight dislike toward the Super Ranger since he's an Android who can pass for human while I cannot," the Android hero admitted.

"Didn't know a machine was capable of being jealous," Red Arrow remarked.

"So if these guys saved Superman, then what's the problem?" Kid Flash questioned.

"After Superman recovered, a meeting was held at the Watchtower concerning these six," Tornado went on. "The Android Trio seem to be impossible to track, but the heroes always appear when they do, so tracking them should be easier. You were given a mission to find and bring them in the past, and now the League has deemed them potentially dangerous if they're not dealt with immediately. We request that you attempt to apprehend them as soon as you can or we might have to act." And on that note, the Android turned to the zeta tube and left the cave, leaving the team to converse among themselves.

"Well shoot, there goes our day off," Wally commented, earning him a punch from the female archer.

"Quit complaining, we've got work to do," Artemis berated.

"And I don't suppose that you have a way to track down these vigilantes?" Red Arrow asked.

"Do you?" Conner challenged.

"As a matter of fact, I do. That's why your fearless leader called me here," Roy said. He then pulled out a receiver device that showed a beeping dot on the screen.

"On one of his missions, Red Arrow and I had encountered the Saiyan Prince, who came to apprehend Tao, an enemy of his," Kaldur explained. "Before he left, Red managed to tag him with a tracer arrow, but for some strange reason, the tracker's signal was lost for some time."

"Until a few days ago, when it suddenly went active," Red Arrow finished. "Now we can pinpoint their location."

"Then what are we waiting for?!" the Kryptonian clone asked. "Let's find these guys and bring 'em in!"

Robin glanced at the receiver and brought out a screen to determine the location. "The signal's coming from somewhere in Tokyo, but it's not anywhere we can zeta too, so we'll have to take the Bio Ship."

"Before we go, let me say this first," Aqualad said. "Our objective is to bring them here. They're not villains, so we shouldn't have to rely on brute force. Let me try to talk to them before we take any action." The team nodded before they all headed toward the Bio Ship, and in a few minutes, the Martian aircraft had exited Mount Justice and made its way to Tokyo.

 **Tokyo, September 18, Capsule Corp. Gravity Chamber**

The Son of Goku and the Son of Vegeta were currently training in gravity chamber; Gohan was in his Super Saiyan 2 form while Trunks was in his Super Saiyan form. The younger half Saiyan was on the offensive, throwing multiple punches and kicks while his sparring partner attempted to defend himself. Gohan finally ended the fight by punching Trunks in the chin, sending him flying backward and landing on his back. The Saiyan Prince sat up and rubbed his jaw. "Damn, I thought I'd reach the next level this time, but I'm just not getting it for some reason," he said.

Gohan powered down to his Super Saiyan form and stood beside his friend. "You're just not there yet. The first step for me was to getting used to the Super Saiyan form and minimizing the strain it causes. You've managed to master that faster than I did but you just haven't had that final push you need to break past your limits," Gohan explained.

"Guess that's something that runs in the family," Trunks remarked, making Gohan raise an eyebrow. "Think about it, my father reached the Super Saiyan form much later than your dad did, and now I'm trying to acquire the next level after you did. I can see why my father is always upset; our family seems to always be second to yours."

"That may be true, but that seems to be the problem to me," Gohan stated.

"What do you mean?"

"The way I see it, Vegeta desires to be the strongest, but is that the same as beating my dad?" Gohan asked. "If you're focused on surpassing a single person, you might just end up doing that, but there are others who are even stronger than who you want to beat, and you'll never get to them. Instead of focusing on surpassing me, try to surpass all, including yourself. My dad just wanted to get stronger, but it wasn't to beat other people, it was to beat himself."

"Guess it makes sense when you put it that way," Trunks relented before getting back on his feet. "Alright, I'm ready to go again!" The two Super Saiyans took their stances as they prepared to fight again, but before they could, their scouters that were on the control panel started beeping. The Son of Goku went over to the panel, picked up his device, and placed it on his ear.

"Yeah Ranger, what's up?" he spoke into the scouter.

"I think I might've picked up the other Androids' power levels," Ranger reported. "I should be able to trace it back to their hideout. You must come right away!"

"Okay, we'll be at your location soon!" Gohan replied before turning to his partner. "Ranger's got a lead on where we can find Dr. Zero's lair."

"Then there's no time to waste, let's go!" Trunks said. The Demi Saiyans shut off the gravity simulator and quickly put on their Saiyan armor. They exited the chamber and returned it to capsule form before taking to the air. As they flew over the city, they pressed the buttons on their scouters to pinpoint Sixteen's location. "Alright, I've got Ranger's coordinates, and we should be there in a few minutes!" Trunks stated.

"Hold on, Trunks!" Gohan said as his scouter started beeping. "My scouter's detecting something, and it's heading toward us."

"Yeah, mine too," Trunks agreed as he closed his eyes. "I'm sensing eight power levels; they all seem to be stronger than average humans."

"Well, we can't stay here, we've got to meet up with Ranger!" Gohan said. He flew very fast but then suddenly stopped when his scouter beeped again. "What the?"

"Why'd you stop?" Trunks inquired as he flew beside him.

"My scouter said that eight energy signals are coming from right in front of me now," Gohan answered. "But I don't see anyone; is the device malfunctioning?"

"I don't think so. I'm sensing those life forces for sure, but…" Trunks trailed off. The Saiyans squinted as they tried to see what they were sensing.

Inside the Bio Ship, the seven young heroes were gazing at the Super Saiyans. "Can they see us?" Red Arrow questioned.

"No, but they can sense us somehow," Miss Martian responded. "They're just confused."

"So what? Are we just gonna stay here and look at each other all day?!" Superboy demanded. Before anyone could respond, the Demi Saiyans descended to the ground.

"Looks like we don't have to," Wally said.

"Remember, we are not to attack before they do. We have to earn their trust," Aqualad instructed.

"Don't be so laxed, Kaldur. Even if they do attack, we can handle it," Robin assured. The Martian spaceship descended to ground level and opened up; the seven protégés then walked out and stood face-to-face with the Super Saiyans. Both simply stared at each other, observing one another.

"Hey Saiyan Kid, got any idea who these guys are?" Trunks whispered to his friend.

"Only some of them," Gohan answered. "Four of them are well-known sidekicks: Aqualad, Kid Flash, Robin, and Speedy. I don't know the other three."

"The guys with the 'S' on his chest is probably affiliated with Superman. The green-skinned chick is most likely a Martian like that Manhunter, and the Archery girl's wearing green like Green Arrow," Trunks observed. His eyes then landed on the team leader and ex-sidekick. "I recognize those two, Aqualad and Speedy. They were at the summit in Taipei the night I went to capture Tao."

While they were whispering, the team was also talking among themselves. "So these guys are the Saiyan Prince and the Saiyan Kid? Not that impressive, but nice costumes though," Kid Flash commented.

"Shh, I can't hear what they're saying," Artemis said.

"Basically they know who we are, and the Prince guy remembers Red and Aqualad from Taipei," Superboy informed them.

The Saiyans glanced at each other. "Looks like Superboy there can hear us talking," Trunks noted.

"Then we make it so he can't," Gohan suggested.

"They possess super hearing like me," Superboy told his team. "Now they're going to stop me from hearing their conversation."

"Then we shall do the same to them. Miss Martian, link us up!" Kaldur ordered.

After a second, M'ggan said, _"Link established."_

" _So, what now? Do we attack yet?"_ Artemis asked.

" _No, first we talk,"_ Aqualad said. The Atlantean then noticed that the Saiyan's eyes were moving, looking at each other before glancing at the team. _"It appears that they are also capable of telepathy."_

" _Do you want to know what they're saying?"_ Megan inquired.

" _Not yet. Only if they seem to be lying to us,"_ Kaldur instructed before addressing the Demi Saiyans. "Greetings. I am Aquaman's protégé, Aqualad, and these are my comrades, Kid Flash, Red Arrow, Robin, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis. We form a team of covert operatives for the Justice League."

" _You_ guys form a team for the League! I work alone!" Roy corrected sternly.

"If that's true, then why is it that both times we've met, you're with other people?" Trunks asked.

"That last time was an exception… as is now!" Red Arrow answered.

"Right. Well, I'm the Saiyan Prince," Trunks introduced himself.

"And I'm the Saiyan Kid, it's a pleasure to meet you," Gohan said while bowing.

"We know who you two are, and we tracked you down to talk to you," Artemis said.

"How'd you find us, anyway? I thought we were being very discreet," Gohan stated.

"More like you were creet," Robin said, confusing the Saiyan.

"I'm not sure what that means, but this is how they found us," Trunks told his partner as he pulled out Roy's tracking device and faced the archer in question. "You tagged me with this the day we met. I put it in a place that prevented you from tracing the signal until now."

" _So he knew about the tracer the whole time,"_ Aqualad thought.

"Then why would you bring it out again where it can be detected?" Wally questioned.

"I just wanted to see who would be the ones coming to see us, but I didn't expect you to be here so soon," Trunks replied.

"So, what do you want with us?" Gohan asked.

"You guys were the ones who rescued Superman when he was attacked," Kaldur stated. "Although what you did is worthy of praise, the League has asked you be brought in for questioning and we were tasked to bring you, peacefully."

" _So this superhero group doesn't trust us and wants to interrogate us,"_ Trunks said through telepathy.

" _Makes sense. We're kind of like vigilantes. Our way of doing things may be different from theirs,"_ Gohan mused.

"Hey!" Kid Flash called to the Saiyans. "It's rude to ignore us, you know."

"So, are you guys gonna come quietly or not?" Robin inquired.

"Look, we would, but we're a little busy right now," Gohan told them. "Our friend Super Ranger needs our help and we have to get to him."

" _Seems like we caught them at a bad time,"_ Artemis thought.

"If _they're telling the truth,"_ Red Arrow thought.

" _Miss Martian, check their minds,"_ Kaldur ordered.

"Okay," The Martian obeyed. Her eyes glowed green as she peered into the minds of the Demi Saiyans. Gohan and Trunks suddenly felt a slight pain in their heads; it lasted for a few seconds before fading. _"They're telling the truth. Those Androids that attacked Superman are their personal enemies, so they're trying to track them down."_

" _You felt that sensation, right?"_ Trunks asked his friend.

" _Yeah, felt like someone was trying to drill into my head,"_ Gohan replied. _"One of them can read minds, probably the Martian girl. It's weird; never felt it when someone did it in our world."_

"I don't appreciate you going through my mind like that!" Trunks told the team.

"Forgive the intrusion, but we needed to be sure that you were telling the truth," Aqualad explained. "Now, will you please come with us?"

"If you know we're not lying, then you realize that we can't stay here or go with you," Gohan said.

"Look, our mission is to bring you to the League, which means that we can't allow you to leave here!" Artemis countered.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Roy exclaimed in frustration as he pulled out an arrow and launched it at the Saiyan Prince; he easily caught it and snapped it in half. The rest of the team readied themselves for battle, except for the Atlantean leader.

"We don't wanna fight you guys," Gohan said.

"Well, we gotta fight you guys now since you won't come willingly," Kid Flash said.

"Do you guys really think you stand a chance at apprehending us?" the Son of Vegeta asked with disbelief.

"Someone sure sounds confident when he should be more fident," Robin commented.

"Why wouldn't I have a reason to be confident?" Trunks asked before he disappeared and reappeared behind the protégés. "I can say for certain that you guys don't stand much of a chance against me."

Reacting to what he said, Superboy retorted, "Sure about that?" before he threw a fist at the teenage Saiyan. Trunks simply blocked his attack and pushed him back. The Kryptonian clone glared at the half Saiyan, who gave him a smirk similar to his father's.

"Team, wait! Do not engage them!" Aqualad ordered.

Conner stared at Trunks, who held up his hand and gave the 'come on' gesture. "Sorry boss, but I refuse to lose to these guys!" the clone shouted. He then charged at the Saiyan, throwing his right fist at him. The Lone Warrior grabbed his right fist before he grabbed the left one that was thrown at him. The Genomorph hero pushed against the Super Saiyan with all his might, but he showed no sign of struggling against his super strength.

"I'll admit you're much stronger than the average human…" Trunks complimented before skull bashing the clone of Superman. "But then again, so am I!" He then hurled the hybrid aside. An arrow flew toward Trunks, missing him by a hair. He looked behind himself to see the two archers taking shots at him; he pulled out his sword and used it to deflect the flying projectiles. After a few more arrows were cut down, the archers attempted to fight the Prince in hand-to-hand combat; however, Trunks blocked their assaults before kicking them aside. He then turned to face the Atlantean, who pulled out his water weapons and shifted them into dual swords. Kaldur charged at the swordsman and swung his weapons at him while Trunks blocked them as he engaged the team leader in a sword battle.

Meanwhile, Gohan was facing against the protégés of Batman, Flash, and Martian Manhunter. First off was Kid Flash; he zoomed all around the Demi Saiyan, trying to catch him off guard. Gohan's teal eyes strayed right and left as he followed the speedster's movements. Finally, Wally dashed toward the Saiyan Kid to right hook him, but Gohan deflected his strike and sidestepped him. The speedster stared at the Saiyan in awe before deciding to try it again. Just like before, Gohan managed to disable his assault again with no trouble.

" _Whoa, how's he doing that?"_ Wally wondered.

" _He seems to be able to keep track of your movements. Could it be that device on his head?"_ M'ggan inquired.

" _Don't think so. It wasn't active at all while his eyes were following you, plus his reaction shows that he's dealt with someone super fast before,"_ Robin deduced.

" _Look, I don't wanna hurt you guys, which is why I'm holding back, but if you continue to attack me, I may decide to cut loose,"_ Gohan said with his mind. The thoughts of an outsider entering their heads surprised the team members.

" _Did he just hack our link?"_ Kid Flash questioned.

" _It's more like he added his thoughts to our own,"_ Miss Martian corrected.

" _Let's see how he handles this!"_ Robin said as he threw two disks at the Saiyan.

Gohan easily caught them, and after they ticked a few times he threw them back. The three separated to avoid the explosion. Miss Martian countered by using her telekinesis to levitate a few pieces of rubble and hurl them at the Son of Goku, who reacted by using his own telekinesis to catch them and toss them back to sender. M'ggan then levitated multiple pieces of rubble and threw them at the Saiyan Kid. Gohan easily evaded every single one of them as they continuously flew through the air trying to hit him. "Hammer time!" Gohan said as he started to smash the flying rubble while avoiding the rest. Miss Martian sent more boulders at the Saiyan, but it was futile against his incredible speed and strength. "So you wanna play rough?!" he exclaimed as he fired an energy blast that disintegrated every flying boulder the Martian threw. The half Saiyan descended to the ground and dusted himself. "Could we at least take this outside the city?" he asked.

"Don't worry about that, this'll be over quickly!" Kid Flash declared as he sped toward the Saiyan and started throwing multiple punches at him. Gohan blocked every one of his strikes before palm striking him away. Megan rushed at the Z Fighter, but her inferior combat training against a warrior with superior martial arts skills didn't allow her to last long before she was knocked away. Robin then brought out his dual bo sticks and jumped at the Saiyan Kid; Gohan brought out his power pole and extended it, allowing him to easily block the Boy Wonder's attacks.

Back with Trunks, the Atlantean continued to swing his weapons around until Trunks managed to knock his weapons from his hands. He then sheathed his sword and took his fighting stance. Aqualad charged at the Saiyan and tried to strike him, but every one of his blows were blocked. When Trunks grabbed his fists, he used that opportunity to channel electricity toward the Z Fighter in an attempt to stun him, but Trunks just smirked as he flared his Ki, warding off the electricity. He then skull bashed the team leader before kicking him away. Artemis and Roy both fired bombed arrows at the Saiyan Prince; he easily caught before they could hit his face, but they detonated seconds later. When the smoke cleared, the archers were surprised to see that the half's face was completely unharmed by their attacks. Trunks used his hands to release a kiai that blew the archers away. He then sensed something above him and looked up to see the Boy of Steel descending on him. He blocked Superboy's attack and withstood the force that shattered the concrete ground. Superboy then tried to punch the Saiyan Prince but he dodged the assaults, which seemed to anger the Kryptonian. Trunks then revved up his energy and struck Conner in the chin, knocking him out cold. "You're too angry… kinda like my father," Trunks muttered before looking over at his partner.

Gohan eventually ended his fight with Robin by whacking the Boy Wonder in the head, knocking him unconscious. The team then regrouped, minus their unconscious comrades. The Demi Saiyans' scouters started beeping, making them glance at each other and nod. "Sorry, but we really need to go, so we'll have to settle this some other time," Trunks told them as he placed eight fingers by his head. **"Solar Flare!"** he exclaimed, and a brilliant light exploded from the Prince's face, blinding the protégés. When the light faded, the heroes-in-training opened their eyes, but the Demi Saiyans were already gone without a trace.

"What? Where did they go?!" Miss Martian questioned.

"They couldn't have gotten far," Kid Flash reasoned. "Maybe we can still track them if we get in the Bio Ship!"

"No," Aqualad said as he walked over to the unconscious Kryptonian and picked him up. "They've escaped us. Carry Red Arrow to the Bio Ship so that we can return to the cave."

Although they were confused, the Team obeyed their leader's instructions. Kid Flash and Robin went over to their fallen friends, and the Boy Wonder spotted the tracking device the archer had used to track the Demi Saiyans. "Guess we can't track 'em anymore," Robin noted. The protégés carried their comrades onto the Martian spacecraft. Miss Martian silently went to take the controls while the rest of the heroes-in-training placed their unconscious friends down and took their seats.

"Are we really just gonna head back to the cave?!" Artemis demanded.

"Yes," Kaldur answered. "We could not get them to come peacefully, and we did not expect them to be such a challenge to us. We underestimated them and we lost."

"But, if we go back empty-handed, that means…" Wally started to say.

"We have failed our mission," Aqualad finished. The Team flew back to their base, feeling like failures; they soon entered Mount Justice and went to the mission room. When they got there, the Dark Knight stood there waiting for them, along with their robotic den mother and their combat instructor.

Robin's mentor only said a couple of words: "What happened?" The Team quickly explained how their confrontation with the Saiyans went; needless to say, Batman was not happy with their failure. The Team tried to assure their boss that they would bring the vigilantes in, but the Gotham hero denied it. "We'll put off apprehending these rogue heroes for now, but when the opportunity presents itself again, the League will handle this mission." The young heroes looked like they wanted to argue, but the Dark Knight glared at the teens intensely, dismissing the matter entirely.

Four days later, the Team was attacked by the siblings of Red Tornado; the four super-powered teens were captured and placed in deathtraps, leaving the task of protecting their base to their gadget-wielding comrades. After running all over the cave, the teens managed to incapacitate Red Inferno and Red Torpedo when Artemis shut them down with an electro magnetic pulse. Moments later, their den mother arrived to assist them, but the pulse had faded and the intruders had managed to take control of their heroic little brother. Tornado quickly used his powers to sap the air right out of the lungs of the young heroes, rendering them unconscious until the Justice League had arrived. "Artemis? Artemis, can you hear me?" a voice asked the unconscious archer; she opened her eyes to see the face of Superman. "She's alright!" he alerted his comrades. Artemis was pulled to her feet and looked around to see more Justice League members assisting her teammates. "What happened here?" he asked the archer.

"What happened? The Reds happened! Red Tornado and his…" Artemis began to explain before she noticed something. "Wait, where are they?"

"Gone. All three of them, gone," Robin answered.

 **Tokyo,** **September 18, Capsule Home/Laboratory**

It had been four days since Super Ranger alerted the Saiyans that he detected the Androids' energy signals somewhere, but their confrontation with the Team slowed them down, and by the time they got to Ranger's location, they had already escaped his sensors. After four days of empty trails, the Z Fighters had decided to take a break from searching. Gohan was currently playing catch with Icarus while Trunks was sparring with Ranger. The Saiyan Prince threw multiple strikes at the machine man, but he easily blocked every single one of them. The time traveler stopped to take a few breaths. "Okay, I'm ready to go again," he said.

"I do not think it is wise to overexert yourself, Trunks," Ranger advised. "You shouldn't try to rush your progress."

"But I need to get stronger, and fast!" Trunks argued.

"You are getting stronger. My sensors have detected that your power has increased drastically," Ranger told him.

"But I'm not at Gohan's level. I still haven't attained the second Super Saiyan level," Trunks stated.

"That is correct," Ranger said. "But I believe you will get there eventually. It's only a matter of time."

"Time that I've already spent training, but there's still something preventing from breaking that wall inside me," Trunks said angrily as he clenched his fists. "I just don't get it."

"Gohan told me that Goku said the power comes in response to a need, not a desire," Ranger mused. "Perhaps your desire to have this power as soon as you can is creating this problem for you."

"What's wrong with wanting to get stronger?" the lone warrior questioned.

"Your desire can only take you so far, but it cannot push you past your limits," 16 explained. "It is only when you are at your breaking point that your desire turns into a need if you wish to survive the task at hand and move forward."

Trunks glanced at his right palm. "I just wish I could reach that breaking point faster," he muttered. Before anyone could say anything else, their scouters started beeping; foreign numbers started flashing on the screen along with moving arrows. "Looks like we're about to get a few visitors."

"Scouters detecting about six energy signatures headed toward us," Gohan said. "Could it be the Androids?"

"I do not believe that my brethren would foolishly seek us out, but my sensors do not lie," Ranger stated.

"Icarus, stay back!" Gohan ordered to his dragon while he capsulated their base. Pretty soon, Androids 13, 14, and 19 had appeared before the Z Fighters, but it wasn't just them; the three heroes were surprised when they saw Red Inferno, Red Tornado, and Red Torpedo were standing beside Gero's mechanical soldiers.

"And to think, we wasted four days looking for you mechanical morons when all we had to do was let you come to us," Trunks mocked. "Big mistake! And look, they brought a few friends; like they'll be able help you defeat us."

"Wait a minute, isn't the one with the cape supposed to be a member of the Justice League?" Gohan questioned.

"Based on my data, I can confirm that is the Android hero and Justice League member known as Red Tornado," Ranger said as he analyzed the Red Androids. "And the other two are former heroes of the past: Red Torpedo and Red Inferno."

"Why would three heroes be siding with those killing machines?" Gohan inquired.

"What does it matter? If they're here with those Red Ribbon rejects, then they're our enemies, too! That means we'll have to pound them all into scrap metal!" the Saiyan Prince stated.

"Wait! Please do not harm the android heroes," 16 pleaded. "These are machines like me, and they are heroes who protect life just as I do. I wish not to destroy them without knowing why they are siding with my former brothers."

"Why, Ranger? For all we know, these androids just turned evil!" Trunks retorted.

"Maybe not. Since they're machines, it is possible they were reprogrammed to attack us. If Dr. Zero is anything like Dr. Gero, it wouldn't be too hard," Gohan mused.

"If they were reprogrammed, then their actions are not their own," Ranger said. "Until we know how they are being controlled, I don't want to destroy them unless it is the only way, and if we can, I'd like to help them."

Trunks thought for a moment before nodding. "Okay, you robo slaves! What do you want from us?!"

The machines gave no answer; Thirteen simply glanced at Red Tornado and muttered, "Do it." The Justice Leaguer obeyed by creating twisters around his arms and the lower half of his body; the three tornados started sucking in the air. The Demi Saiyans grasped their throats as the air was pulled from their lungs. Super Ranger was about to act but Androids 19 and 14 quickly restrained him.

" _What's Tornado doing?"_ Gohan thought to Trunks.

" _He's sucking the oxygen right from our lungs,"_ Trunks replied.

" _Does that mean they're trying to kill us since they can't beat us in hand-to-hand combat?"_ Gohan inquired.

" _Don't know yet, but for now, play dead!"_ the Saiyan Prince instructed. He then spotted Super Ranger preparing to make a move against his brothers and quickly gasped, "Ranger," and shook his head no. After a few minutes, the half Saiyans collasped onto the floor and Red Tornado stopped sucking the air.

Thirteen then said, "Nice work, air boy, now get with the reprogramming while I finish off those Indians!" The chief descended toward the Saiyans along with Red Inferno and Red Torpedo while Red Tornado approached the restrained Android 16. Thirteen aimed his right palm at the Z Fighters and channeled energy into it. Just as he was about to fire it, the Super Saiyans quickly stood up and fired a combined Ki blast that knocked 13 and the Reds away. The Saiyans' attack managed to distract Red Tornado, who was reaching for Super Ranger, and 16 reacted by using his feet to kick Tornado away. Then he skull bashed 14, making him release his right arm, before blasting him aside, and then punched 19 in the gut with his rocket fist, blowing him away. He then regrouped with his Saiyan allies.

"Are you two alright?" Ranger asked them.

"Yeah, we're fine, Ranger," Saiyan Kid replied.

"Darn it! That attack plan was foolproof! How did ya'll withstand getting your air tanks cleaned out?!" 13 demanded.

"Did you really think you could suffocate us?! We are Saiyans, ya know!" Trunks responded. "Both of us can survive without air for long periods of time!"

"Well, gosh darn it! Guess we'll just have to rely on old plan B!" Thirteen said.

" _Gohan, I think they're after Super Ranger,"_ Trunks said to his friend telepathically. _"They attacked us while trying to capture him without inflicting any damage."_

" _Well, I won't let them have him!"_ Gohan declared as he reached for his Power Pole; as he prepared to use it, an energy beam knocked it out of his hand along with Trunks' sword. The weapons landed on the ground and the Demi Saiyans glared at Android 13, who had his hand stretched out and smoking.

"14! You and Mr. Twister take on our brotherly traitor! Me and Aquabot can handle city boy's kid! Chubby 19 and fire lady, 30 dollar haircut is all yours!" 13 ordered, and the six Androids immediately charged at the Z Fighters. 13 threw a punch at the Son of Goku, which he easily blocked. The Red Ribbon Android then moved as Red Torpedo launched a torrent of water at Gohan; the Demi Saiyan's entire body was consumed in water as Torpedo tried to drown him. Gohan smirked as he started channeling his Ki. The water prison glowed yellow before it exploded and blew the mechanical men back as the Saiyan Kid was freed.

"Good luck trying to drown or restrain me with water! Now give your best shot!" Gohan demanded while gesturing for his opponents to come at him; 13 growled before engaging the younger Saiyan in combat.

With Trunks, Android 19 was ferociously trying to grab the Saiyan Prince with his hands, but his prey was too fast for him. Trunks then elbow bashed the chubby Android to the ground. "There's no way I'm gonna let you steal my energy, fatso!" the Son of Vegeta proclaimed. He turned around to see Red Inferno holding out her hands at him; the Android heroine unleashed a massive blaze attack at the Saiyan Prince. Trunks reacted by creating an energy shield to protect himself; when she stopped throwing fire at him, he lowered the shield, phased above her, and kicked her to ground. "Sorry babe, but fire ain't gonna come close to scratching me!" Trunks said just as 19 got back up and started trading blows with the Saiyan Prince.

Ranger wasn't having much of a problem against his opponents either. Red Tornado used a whirlwind blast to try and keep Ranger in place, but he easily withstood it. 14 tried to kick him in the head; Super Ranger he caught his assault and slammed him into the ground. Ranger then charged at the current Android Hero, but before he could get to him, Tornado created a wall of wind that blew the former Red Ribbon Android away. 16 was about to use his eye beams to pierce through the twisting barrier, but he was uppercut by Android 14. The two Androids glared at each before exchanging blows. Although the Super Saiyans weren't having any trouble keeping up with their robotic adversaries, they weren't exactly winning their fights either.

" _Is it just me, or are these Androids actually matching us in our Super Saiyan forms?!"_ Gohan asked.

" _Yeah, they must've got some serious upgrades from Zero!"_ Trunks replied. _"So what do you say we get serious?"_

" _Sure, let's show them the true power of a Super Saiyan!"_ Gohan agreed. The Son of Goku blocked 13's kick while channeling energy into his right fist; he swung with full force, striking the Android in the shoulder, disconnecting it from his body in an instant. Trunks used the same attack to sever 19's upper body from his lower half. The Androids gasped at their injuries while the Demi Saiyans charged at 14 and ripped his arms off. The Z Fighters then prepared to face the Reds when they saw multiple wires extending from the Androids' pieces; the wires instantly connected together and reattached the severed body parts to the main body. Trunks and Gohan's eyes grew wide as the Red Ribbon Androids were once again in one piece.

"What the heck was that?!" Trunks questioned.

"The Big Gété Star!" Gohan gasped, getting his comrades to look at him in confusion.

"The what?" Trunks asked.

"Ah, so one of you monsters knows of the Big Gété Star?" 19 asked as he smirked. "Then you know of its ability to adapt and improve."

"What is this Big Gété Star?" Ranger inquired.

"It started out as a damaged microchip that began adding pieces of technology to its system as it drifted in space," Gohan elucidated. "It eventually expanded into a satellite the size of a planet. It's capable of creating thousands of robotic soldiers of equal strength, but the true danger is in where the main computer monitors the soldiers in battle. If they are damaged, they can be instantly repaired and whatever flaw that allowed the damage to be inflicted is corrected."

"Heh! You must've encountered the Big Gété Star in your own time, and that's how you know so much about it," 19 figured. "That means you've realized that now you have no chance of defeating us. But why don't we show you what you're truly up against?" Suddenly the Red Ribbon Androids' skin changed into a shiny silver-like color; they each smirked as they flexed in their new armor.

"That's Meta Cooler's armor!" Gohan exclaimed.

"Meta Cooler?" Trunks repeated.

"Not important. Bottom line is, that armor's not gonna be easy to crack!" Gohan explained.

"Oh, it's more than that, Saiyan! This Gété Star armor was made from the strongest metal alloy in our universe. In this form, our bodies are completely indestructible! " 19 stated.

"We'll see about that!" Trunks retorted as he dashed toward the Androids; the battle resumed with Gohan taking on 13, Trunks fighting 14, and Ranger going toe-to-toe with 19. Saiyan Kid threw multiple punches and kicks at 13's face, but he shrugged every blow off, showing no sign of pain while his armor didn't have a single scratch on it.

"How is this possible? My Father and Vegeta destroyed the Big Gété Star!" Gohan said.

13 smirked at the Saiyan Kid. "Maybe you're right, boy. Maybe it was destroyed without a trace… in your timeline," he said. Gohan's eyes grew wide as he realized what the Android was saying. They were from an alternate future, one whose events became different from his own time due to Trunks and Cell traveling to the past. That meant there was a possibility that in Trunks' future, a piece of the Big Gété Star survived the battle, or maybe it was never confronted by the Z Fighters. 13 then used Gohan's moment of hesitation to his advantage by grabbing him by the throat. Trunks flew to help his comrade, but Android 14 gut punched him before locking him in a full nelson. Wire suddenly sprouted out of 13 and 14's bodies and attached themselves to the Demi Saiyans; gold streams of energy started flowing out of the Super Saiyans' bodies through the wires and into the bodies of the Androids. "Now this is another darn good power that comes from having the Big Gété Star," Android 13 explained. "We can absorb your energies in an instant! At this rate, your entire life forces will be sucked right out of you!" The Saiyan Hybrids screamed in agony as the Androids fed on their Ki.

"Prince! Kid!" Ranger cried. He rushed over to assist his comrades but was met with an uppercut to the chin by Android 19.

"Don't bother, brother. It's too late for them," 19 said as Red Inferno and Red Torpedo appeared by Ranger's sides and grabbed his arms to restrain him. "And it's too late for you! Tornado, now!" The Android Hero flew in front of Super Ranger and grabbed is head; wires spread out from his fingers and connected to 16's scalp. "The reprogramming shouldn't take long, so don't worry, 16. You will be our brother once again."

"Ranger!" Gohan shouted when he saw his friend was in trouble. The Son of Goku powered up to Super Saiyan Two, grabbed the wires, and yanked them right out of 13's body. He blasted the western Android away and flew toward Super Ranger. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE RANGER AWAY!" Gohan proclaimed as he cupped his hands together and poured Ki in between them. **"Kamehame…ha!"** The Son of Goku fired a brilliant blue beam at the Reds. Android 19 jumped in front of the blast and placed his hands forward to absorb it. The beam collided with the chubby Android's hands and was slowly sucked into his palms. Gohan glared at the mechanical warrior before pouring more energy into his attack; 19 continued to absorb it, but his silver armor started to crack as the energy being stored inside him was overloading. **"More power!"** The Demi Saiyan yelled as he released the majority of his Ki into his turtle shockwave. 19's face twisted into a psychotic smile as his body started breaking apart. The Android eventually absorbed the last of the Saiyan Kid's attack but couldn't contain the energy and immediately exploded; the only thing that remained was his power core and his microchip brain.

Gohan took a few heavy breaths as he powered down to his Super Saiyan form; he then glanced at the Reds still restraining his friend before he flared his Ki and rushed over to them. The Demi Saiyan grabbed Red Tornado and tossed him away before kicking both Red Inferno and Red Torpedo, freeing Super Ranger. "Ranger, are you ok?!" Gohan asked him. The Red Ribbon Android gave no reply as he stared at Gohan with an emotionless look; 16's right arm suddenly shot forward and grabbed the Saiyan Hybrid by the throat, surprising him completely. "R-Ranger, what are y-you doing!" Gohan managed to gasp out as the Android tightened his grip around the boy's neck. Super Ranger then placed his hand at the half Saiyan's stomach and charged an energy blast; the blast drilled right through Gohan's armor and came out his back, leaving a hole in his suit and stomach. Gohan coughed out blood before he powered down to his base form. Ranger then released the boy, letting him descend to the ground, alive but beaten.

"No, Gohan!" Trunks cried. He finally blasted 14 away before diving toward his partner, but he was immediately stopped by an energy blast intercepting his path, courtesy of Android 13.

"Going somewhere, pretty boy?" the Android mocked as his brothers appeared beside him. Trunks revved up his Ki and charged at all three Androids head-on; 13, 14, and 16 rushed at the Super Saiyan and engaged in a three-on-one battle. The Saiyan Prince managed to hold his position for a few minutes but was quickly overwhelmed by the triple Android beatdown. As Trunks was beaten, he managed to get a quick glance at his fallen friend; Gohan lay on the ground with blood spilling from his stomach and his mouth while his body was twitching slightly. The time traveler was suddenly reminded of the state he found his mentor in when Androids 17 and 18 killed him; he clenched his fists as he remembered the advice Gohan gave him _"The power comes in response to a need, not a desire. And I need that power now!"_ He then yelled and unleashed an enormous wave of energy that blew the Androids away. Standing before them now was Trunks channeling electricity with his golden aura. He then fired an energy beam, but not at the Androids; the blast hit Gohan and lit up his body for a few seconds.

" _That should stabilize Gohan's Ki until I can get him to the healing chamber,"_ Trunks thought before facing the Androids. 13 and 14 glared at the Saiyan, who raised his hand at them; he blasted 13 with kiai and charged at 14. The two were soon locked in combat. After a while, 14 managed to get a good hit in when he struck Trunks in the stomach. The Saiyan Prince simply glared at the machine before grabbing his wrist and immediately ripping his arm off his shoulder. The Android winced seconds before he noticed Trunks charging an energy blast. **"Galick Gun, fire!"** Trunks exclaimed as he vaporized the Red Ribbon Robot with the purple beam; when the attack vanished, 14's ashes fell from the sky along with his microchip and power core. He then faced Super Ranger, who face remained expressionless. "Oh Ranger, what have they done to you?" the Saiyan Prince wondered as his comrade charged at him. The robotic replica of Gero's son threw multiple blows at the new Super Saiyan Two, who easily blocked all of them with little effort. He then grabbed his friend's arm and muttered, "Sorry, pal," before tossing him into the earth with great force. 16 crashed landed into the ground like a meteor, making a large crater upon impact and having half of his body buried in the earth.

"Don't let your guard down, pretty boy! This fight ain't over yet!" Android 13 yelled as he appeared behind the Saiyan Prince and tried punch him, but Trunks blocked the blow and kicked 13 in the face, making a dent in his silver armor. The remaining Red Ribbon Android glared at the Demi Saiyan before glancing at the remains of his comrades."14 and 19 have been destroyed, huh." He then smirked as he used telekinesis to levitate the microchips and power cores toward him. Knowing what was about to happen, Trunks dashed to stop 13, but he immediately grabbed and restrained by the Red Androids. Trunks watched as Android 13 absorbed the power cores and microchips into his body. "How sweet it is!" 13 stated as his physical features began to change; his long loose hair turned red and spiky as it stood up in a style similar to Trunks'. His muscles expanded to twice their original size as his skin turned black and his eyes turned yellow with no pupils. Trunks powered up and used his energy to blast the Reds away from him; he fired an energy blast at the Red Ribbon Android, but the transformation was already complete. The blast hit 13 in the chest, but he remained unharmed. Trunks then flew straight at Super 13 and punched him right in the face.

"Heh, sorry, pretty boy, but that ain't gonna cut it!" 13 taunted as he grabbed his wrist and started to crush it. Trunks fired a blast into Super 13's face before using his sword to cut off his hand, freeing his wrist and allowing him to gain some distance. 13 smirked as his severed hand was instantly repaired thanks to the abilities of the Big Gété Star; he then used the new hand to gesture the Saiyan to come at him. The Super Android and the Super Saiyan charged at each other and began ferociously trading blows. 13 got the upper hand when his onslaught became too much for Trunks and he nailed the teen with an energy blast. Trunks was blown away but stopped himself and held up his fists to show that he wasn't backing down. He took deep breaths as he braced himself for 13's continual assault, but before that could happen, Red Torpedo called to the Super Android."That's enough, Android 13! We have our objective; there's no need for you to battle this hero any longer! Let's not keep our creators waiting!"

Super 13 growled at the fact that his fun had to be spoiled but complied just as Android 16 appeared beside him. He then smirked at Trunks as he forced his hand through Ranger's chest and ripped out his power core. Trunks gasped as his comrade shut down and fell into the grasp of the Reds. Super 13 then created a red energy sphere around the power core before encasing both in another enormous red sphere of energy. "I've managed to outrun that speedy hero and his sidekick, Flash and Flash Jr. They're supposed to be the fastest, but let's see how fast you are," 13 stated before tossing the energy attack, not at Trunks but at Gohan. The Saiyan Prince's eyes grew wide before he raced toward his partner to save him; he got in front of the Saiyan Kid and placed his hands out. The giant energy blast collided with Trunks' hands and he pushed against it with all his might. The ground around the Saiyan began to sink while he struggled to stop the attack; he then fired a beam at full power, repelling the attack and launching it into space, where it detonated. Trunks was breathing heavily as he looked around to see if the Androids were still in the area, but they disappeared without a trace. "RAAAAH!" he roared as his aura exploded in a fit of fury.

The Saiyan Prince then powered down to base form and went over to check on his partner; he placed his hand by Gohan's neck and closed his eyes. _"I can still sense Gohan's energy but it's starting to fade again. Better get him to the healing chamber fast!"_ He picked up his Saiyan brother and carried him back to their spot. After releasing their base from its capsule form, Trunks hurried Gohan to the gravity chamber before glancing at the boy's costume watch. _"It must've been damaged during the fight."_ He brought Gohan to the healing tank and opened it. He then pressed the button on the watch, removing the Saiyan armor, and placed Gohan inside the healing pod. After putting the life support mask on his face, he started the machine and watched as it closed and filled up with the Saiyan DNA synthesized liquid. Icarus came over to the tank and pressed his nose against the glass, watching Gohan's becoming steadier as he fell into a healing nap. Trunks petted the dragon's head. "Don't worry, boy, Gohan's gonna be just fine. But you can stay with him till he's fully healed," he assured Icarus before leaving to the laboratory.

After removing his armor and patching his own wounds, Trunks got to work on fixing Gohan's costume watch. But he was still upset over the loss of his fellow Z Fighter. _"Dammit! How could we have lost Ranger to those mechanical_ _monstrosities_ _?!"_ he thought. _"I don't know what Zero and Raichi are planning or why they took Ranger, but I'll get him back no matter what! I'll stake my life on it!"_ He then heard a beeping noise and glanced over to the source, which was his scouter; he picked it up, placed it on his ear, and commanded, "Play message." The beeping then stopped and a familiar voice spoke from the scouters' recording.

"This is Red Tornado," it said "If you're hearing this message, then your enemies and my siblings along with myself have succeeded in our attempt to capture the one called Super Ranger." Trunks growled and almost destroyed the scouter but calmed down so that he could listen to the rest of the message. "My apologies. I was also recently abducted by my siblings and could do no more than record this message on your devices with my little willpower. I do not know what more to say, other than this… if you wish to rescue your comrade, then you must find the team of young heroes. They are the only ones who can help you get him back!"

Trunks took off the scouter and placed it on the table. "I have half a mind to destroy that Tornado for playing a hand in what happened to Gohan and Ranger… but I'll follow his instructions, for now," the Son of Vegeta decided.

 **A/N: Finished! What'd you think of this chapter?! Hope you like it! Now after having a bad run in with the Team, the Demi Saiyans need their help in order to find their friend; how will that turn out? Stay tuned and find out! Until then, BBFN AntiHero out!**


	7. Chapter 7 - Aphla Male and Project KO

**A/N: I'm back! Here's another chapter of Rebirth of the Red Ribbon Army, and I think you'll really like this chapter! Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've just been a bit neglectful with this story, but when the new episode of Young Justice Season 3 came out, I was motivated to get back to this fanfic. Just let me say, season 3's world sucks. I mean, Batman, Green Arrow, and other members of the League quitting, Meta-Humans being kidnapped, tested, and used if not killed; what else could go wrong? The only good things are Kaldur's big promotion and that Nightwing is still in the game. Anyway, hope you like the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer- I do not own Dragon Ball Z or Young Justice**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Tokyo, September 23, Capsule Corp. Gravity Chamber**

"Hyah! Hah! Hyah!" Trunks cried as he performed numerous martial arts moves in the gravity chamber. Super Ranger's abduction and Gohan's injury were just five days ago, and while the Son of Goku was still recovering in the healing chamber, the Son of Vegeta spent his time trying to master the Super Saiyan Two state. He moved around rapidly through the chamber while dodging and deflecting energy blasts from the battle drones. He pressed one drone after the other, shutting them down instantly; when all the drones were deactivated, he landed on the ground and powered down to base form. "Computer, shut off gravity simulation!" he ordered, and the room immediately felt lighter. Trunks let out a sigh before exiting the chamber while wiping his face with a towel. He went over to the fridge and pulled out bottle of water, taking a quick drink before going to take a shower to freshen up.

When he was done, he came over to the healing tank where his fellow Demi Saiyan was still recovering. The hole in his gut was completely healed; all that was left were his other injuries and his mental state. Trunks touched the glass as he watched his sleeping friend get better. "Don't worry, Gohan. Once you're at full strength, we'll find Super Ranger together," he said before he left. He looked down at Icarus, who was sleeping beside the Son of Goku, and petted him. Trunks eventually made his way to the laboratory and pulled out a blueprint; he unrolled it and viewed the schematics for Android 16. "Ranger was somehow programmed into attacking us; if we see him again, he may still be controlled," Trunks mused. "I'll have to build that emergency suspension remote to deactivate him just in case."

As the Saiyan Prince studied the blueprint, his scouter started to beep. He picked it up and pressed the button, and a dot appeared on the lens, moving over to a marked location. _"Looks like GPS coordinates, probably from that Red Tornado. Is this where he is?"_ Trunks wondered before the dot split into eight smaller dots. _"Or not. There are about eight power levels in that location, so maybe it's that team of sidekicks."_ The Time traveler closed the blueprint and went to his room; a few minutes later, he came out in his Saiyan Armor. "Alright, based on these coordinates, I'll be going to… Northern India where those gorilla attacks took place," Trunks noted as he picked up his sword and went over to the chamber door; he opened it and was about to step out when something tugged on his cape. He looked back to see Icarus behind him. He smiled at the dragon and said, "Don't worry, boy, I'm just going out for a bit. Keep an eye on Gohan for me, okay?" The Saiyan Prince then turned Super Saiyan and flew off toward the Team's current location.

* * *

 **Northern India, September 23, 21:40 IST**

Ever since the incident with the Reds, the Team had been feeling on edge. Kaldur privately revealed his suspicions on Red Tornado being the mole to Batman, but Superboy overheard the conversation and told the rest of the Team. Although the Team was miffed at their leader for not telling them about the mole, the Dark Knight still sent them on a mission to investigate a gorilla attack in India with Captain Marvel as their supervisor. Once they arrived at their destination, the team members ignored their leader's instructions and separated into the jungle. With the Leaguer, Aqualad wandered around and came across gorilla tracks. "Guess this is where Mayor hill's… monkey business went down," Marvel said. "So we've confirmed his story, right?" The Atlantean didn't respond and started walking off. "Aqualad?"

"Apologies, captain, I am… plagued by doubts," Kaldur confessed. "Perhaps I was wrong to withhold…" He was interrupted by the sound of large footsteps approaching them while shaking the ground. A giant elephant, its muscle fiber and bones barley contained by its skin, burst through the trees, charging at the heroes. Captain Marvel flew at it and punched it in the head, yet the beast was unaffected by the blow and used its trunk to grab Marvel and toss him into a tree.

Aqualad looked surprised as four more monstrous elephants appeared before him; he quickly jumped back as one of them tried to stomp on him. Captain Marvel got up just as one of the elephants swatted Kaldur aside.

The Saiyan Prince had just flown over the Indian jungle when he heard loud noises; he looked over and saw the Justice Leaguer and the Team leader fighting against the massive mammals. One of the elephants used its skull to pin Captain Marvel to a tree trunk while another smacked Aqualad onto the ground and prepared to stomp on him. Aqualad covered his face as the giant foot was lowered onto him; he felt no impact and looked to see what happened. He was surprised to find the Son of Vegeta pushing against the elephant's foot. "Hey there, need a hand?" Trunks asked jokingly.

"You… you're the Saiyan Prince!" Aqualad stated.

"Nice to see you again, Aqualad," Trunks said before releasing a kiai that blew the elephant backward. The three other elephants came charging at the Saiyan and Atlantean; Trunks fired two energy blasts that kept them at bay. They looked to their right to see Captain Marvel pushing his elephant away, but he was then swatted by another one. Kaldur rolled to the side as another elephant came him. Trunks flew up to avoid being snatched by the trunks of two elephants. Aqualad dodged his elephant again before he noticed the collar-like device around its neck; he pulled out his water weapons and moved underneath the animal before jumping and pulling the collar off. The Elephant blinked before peacefully turning and walking away.

"Remove their collars!" Aqualad yelled out.

"On it!" Marvel replied. He dashed to one elephant and punched its collar off; the device fell to the floor before the beast stomped on it and left the area. The Demi Saiyan was grabbed and squeezed by an elephant trunk; he managed to free one hand and fired an energy blast that knocked the collar off. The elephant let him go and he pulled out his sword before swiftly cutting off the collars of the remaining two mutant animals. All five elephants walked away as the heroes regrouped. "Hey! You're one of those heroes from Tokyo, the Saiyan Prince!" Marvel exclaimed before extending his hand. "I'm Captain Marvel. I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Thanks, you too," Trunks replied while shaking his hand.

"So I gotta ask, what are you? A Kyrptonian? An Amazon? Nah, the Amazons are all females. An Atlantean like Aqualad? Wait, you don't have gills. A Meta-Human? Oh, what are your powers? Super strength? Those lasers?" Captain Marvel bombarded the Saiyan with questions.

"Uh, mind if we save the questions for another time?" Trunks asked.

"At least answer this question: why are you here?" Aqualad inquired.

"I have some business with one of your allies, the Android named Red Tornado. I thought coming here would give me some answers," Trunks replied. "So, are elephants usually that big here?"

"I'm pretty sure they're not," Marvel answered. "By the way, Aqualad, pretty sweet how you figured out the problem was the collar!"

"But the collars indicate that there is intelligence behind this attack," Aqualad stated.

"Who would use animals to attack heroes?" Saiyan Prince asked.

"I'm not sure, but the rest of the team may also be at risk," Aqualad said he pressed on his com. "Team, report status." He flinched as he only received static in his ear. "Com is jammed. And Miss Martian failed to establish a telepathic link before we separated."

"Actually, you let everyone split up before communications were set," Marvel pointed out.

"They would not listen!" Kaldur argued.

"I guess, but back at the cave, Batman stopped everyone from arguing with one word," Marvel reminded him.

"But Batman is… Batman!" Kaldur said.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me," the Leaguer chuckled. "When I first joined the League, all the guy did was boss me around, and it's hard not to take it personally. But I never disobeyed an order, and that's probably what kept me alive."

"Batman takes command… because he has to for the good of the League." Aqualad said understandingly. "Thank you for helping me to understand."

"Hey, Wisdom of Solomon," Marvel said while pointing to his head.

" _Aqualad, can you hear me?"_ Megan asked telepathically.

"Yes Miss Martian, report!" Aqualad replied.

" _Artemis and I were attacked by animals wearing inhibitor collars like the ones they used in Belle Reve prison,"_ Miss Martian reported.

While Aqualad was listening to his comrade's report, Captain Marvel spotted an Indian Tiger stalking them from among the grass; it growled at them before turning and trekking away. "Cool, a tiger!" Marvel announced. "I'll be right back!"

"Captain, wait!" Aqualad called, but the Leaguer was already out of sight. "Hey, Speed of Mercury," Kaldur said solemnly.

"Should we go after him?" Trunks inquired.

"He's too fast, we may not catch him," Aqualad replied.

"I don't know, I'm pretty fast myself," Trunks assured.

"I think it would be best if we focus on regrouping with my teammates, they'll need to know what you want from us after the mission is over," Aqualad decided. "Assuming that you'll stick around."

"Sure thing, lead the way," Trunks said as they made their way through the jungle.

Captain Marvel followed the big cat into an open field, where it stopped running and growled at the hero. "Hey there, mister, bet you'd like good old Cap to take that nasty collar off, huh," Marvel said while slowly approaching the tiger with a calm composure; the tiger seemed to calm down before the collar abruptly shocked him. Marvel stepped toward the beast before it stepped back. Suddenly, four electronic stakes shot out of the ground and created a light barrier. Captain Marvel collapsed onto the floor just as a gorilla with a Gatling gun landed beside the tiger and started pounding his chest while roaring.

* * *

Moments later, Kaldur and Trunks were still looking for Captain Marvel when the Atlantean contacted his Martian friend. _"Ms. Martian, I need a telepathic link with the rest of the team now!"_

Seconds later, M'gann called back. _"Link established."_

" _Should he really still be giving us orders, and should you really be following them?"_ Artemis inquired.

" _Listen, please!"_ Kaldur pleaded.

" _Oh good, Aqualad's voice in my head. I've soooo missed that,"_ Kid Flash remarked sarcastically.

" _Hey Kaldur, KF and I were attacked by giant Vultures,"_ Robin reported before adding, _"Of course since we're moles, you probably think we attacked ourselves."_

" _If he did, he wouldn't tell you,"_ Artemis said.

" _Superboy, are you online or just pouting?"_ Ms. Martian asked the clone.

" _Busy. Call back later,"_ he replied as he continued to wrestle with the mutant Alpha Wolf.

" _This is supposed to be a team of future heroes? Sounds more like a bunch of complaining kids,"_ Trunks said.

" _Who was that?"_ Artemis demanded.

" _We have an unexpected guest on this mission. The Saiyan Prince wishes to speak to us about something, so he will be assisting the team until then,"_ Aqualad explained.

" _It's just one surprise after another from Kaldur today, isn't it?"_ Kid Flash stated.

" _Yeah. Maybe he invited this new hero and kept it from us because we might be the mole!"_ Robin agreed.

" _I wouldn't be surprised if that was true,"_ Artemis said.

" _Hey! I don't know what problems you guys have with your leader, but I'm here for a different reason, so keep me out of it!"_ the Saiyan Prince told them. _"Besides, what right do you have to question your leader? None of you were there when he got the Intel of a mole on your team!"_

" _Oh, and I suppose you were,"_ Wally said sarcastically. No answer was given in return. _"You're kidding me! This guy knows about the mole!"_

" _You let an outsider find out about the mole before us, your teammates?!"_ Artemis asked.

" _I did not realize that the conversation made it to your ears,"_ Aqualad said to the Demi Saiyan.

" _I have excellent hearing,"_ Trunks revealed. _"But that's not important now; what is though is completing this mission!"_

" _Who made you part of this team anyway?!"_ Robin demanded.

As the Team continued to rant, Aqualad and the Saiyan Prince came across the electric trap that caught Captain Marvel; the only signs left were tracks of something being dragged off into the jungle by a gorilla. _"What gets me is how nonchalant Kaldur is about telling us,"_ Kid Flash stated.

" _He should be chalant, way chalant, extremely chalant!"_ Robin agreed.

" _How can we be a team if he doesn't trust us with his secrets?"_ Artemis questioned.

" _Or if Conner doesn't trust us to protect ourselves?"_ M'gann added.

" _Did he really think you or I could've been the mole?"_ Wally inquired.

" _We've known each other for years!"_ Robin said.

" _Trust is a two-way street!"_ Artemis pointed out.

" _And you know they'd hate it if we kept secrets from them!"_ M'gann said.

" _Not that we'd do that,"_ Artemis quickly added.

" _Enough!"_ Aqualad exclaimed before he yanked one of the electric pillars from the trap. _"Captain Marvel has been captured and we must act as a team to rescue him!"_ he alerted them.

" _Under your leadership? I don't think…"_ Wally scoffed before he was cut off.

" _THIS IS NOT UP FOR DEBATE!"_ Aqualad declared, shutting his team up. _"You all chose me to lead. When the mission is over, if you wish to select a new leader, I will happily step down. Until that time, I am in command here!"_

"Spoken like a true leader," Trunks praised him. "I can help lead you to your comrade if you want."

"How?" Aqualad inquired.

"I can sense Ki or life forces and my scouter can detect powers levels," Trunks explicated. When the Atlantean looked confused, he simplified. "Basically I can track anything with a lot of energy, and that guy's definitely got a lot."

"Very well then, after you," Aqualad complied.

* * *

Moments later, the Demi Saiyan led the Atlantean to a hidden laboratory in the heart of the jungle; pretty soon, Robin, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, and Artemis had joined them. _"What's he doing here?!"_ the speedster asked about the time traveler.

" _I asked him to stick around until the mission is over,"_ Aqualad replied. _"Is that a problem?"_

The others glanced at each other before Wally answered, "No sir." He then placed his goggles over his eyes to scan the area.

" _I'll fly over,"_ M'gann said while in camouflage mode.

" _Negatory,"_ Kid Flash alerted. _"The field is surrounded by an electro-dome over the whole compound."_

" _One good shock could cause momentary gap,"_ Robin said.

" _I see a target,"_ Artemis reported as she aimed her arrow at the fuse box.

" _Then be ready to hit! Be ready, all of you!"_ Aqualad ordered. He then slid toward the dome and used his electricity powers to force open a hole in the barrier big enough for Artmeis' arrow to fly through.

" _Now!"_ Wally shouted. The archer fired her arrow and it sailed over the Atantean's head before striking the box, shutting down the barrier. The young heroes rushed into the compound when Trunks abruptly stopped and looked up.

"Heads up, guys!" he alerted the team.

Robin looked up and saw a howler monkey with a collar standing guard on the gate; it spotted them and howled very loudly, setting off an alarm and calling seven more monkeys to attack. The Team readied themselves as the animals attacked.

Inside the laboratory, the gorilla, wearing a medical suit and a hat, was observing the battle going on through the outside security camera. "Go, Mala! Deal with those intruders! I can handle Mon Capitan's brain extraction myself. Oh, and take Project K.O. with you," the gorilla's superior ordered as his robotic hand positioned the scalpel over the head of Captain Marvel, who was strapped to an examination table and incapable of moving with the inhibitor collar around his neck. The gorilla named Mala nodded before removing his clothes and stepping toward a locked cage; Mala ripped off the lock and opened the cage door. A set of glowing red eyes glared at the gorilla before it stepped out of the cage and followed Mala to the exit.

Outside, Aqualad had knocked one of the monkeys aside, yet it landed on its feet and growled at him. He noticed the collar around its neck and put his weapons away. The monkey pounced on him and he slammed it on the ground before tearing off the collar. The primate looked frightened and quickly fled. "Remove their collars!" Kaldur instructed his comrades.

"Sounds easy when he says it," Robin groaned as he struggled against two monkeys. Artemis responded by kicking one away and firing two arrows to help her teammate; they hit the monkeys' collars, freeing them and Robin, who returned the favor by throwing two disks, cutting off the collars of the two monkeys behind the archer.

Trunks fought off two monkeys as one jumped onto his back; he pushed the two away before grabbing the one on his back and pinning it to the ground. He pulled off its collar and let it go, allowing it to run away. He then fired two fingers beams which hit the other two monkeys' collars, damaging them before they fell off, and the primates returned to their pack. The Saiyan then sensed a large energy source behind him and turned to face what looked like a miniature version of a great ape wearing pants, with a tail and its own collar. "Is that an Oozaru?" Trunks questioned before it growled at him; Trunks braced himself as the beast charged at him. The Demi Saiyan punched it in the face but it shook it off and punched him back. "You're quite strong for an ape, much stronger than you should be!" Trunks commented. Project K.O charged at the Saiyan and the two pushed against each other. The Atlantean noticed the gold, spiky-haired fighter tangling with the monster ape and called to his teammates, "Artemis, Robin! Assist Saiyan Prince!"

The non Meta-teens nodded as they threw explosives at the mini-Oozaru back. While this was happening, Mala stepped out of the lab with his Gatling gun; he snarled before taking a few sniffs and turned around to grab the camouflaged Martian that tried to sneak past him. He slammed her on the ground and pointed his weapon at her. "Get yer paws off her, you darn dirty ape!" Kid Flash said as he rushed at the gorilla. He bashed him but the ape's mass was greater, causing the speedster to be knocked backward.

"You're not taking my brain!" Marvel exclaimed as a tube of water was placed by his head.

"Do not struggle, Capitain, ze extraction is largely painless. And the benefits are enormous…" A laser was directed at the subject's head as the villain spoke to the hero. "Just look what it has done for me." He stepped into the light, showing himself to be a brain on a cylinder-shaped machine.

"That thing won't work on me," the Captain stated.

"Perhaps, but it works on solid steel. So I'll try my luck," The Brain said. "I'm told you have the courage of Achilles, no? Perhaps you should've asked for his invulnerability instead." The Brain was then pounced on by the tiger, causing him to roll away from the examination table. "Traitor! You will suffer for that!" The Brain said angrily as he activated the cat's collar, making it feel an electric shock.

"Stop it! Stop!" Marvel cried. As the tiger roared in pain, an explosion caught the Brain's attention; Mala and the small Oozaru were blown through the wall and the young heroes entered the lab.

"It's The Brain!" Wally exclaimed when he saw the villain.

"I can see it's a brain!" Artemis stated.

"Not a brain, The Brain!" Wally clarified.

"In the flesh, so to speak," The Brain said before turning to his assistant. "Mala!" The gorilla pressed a button on a remote and the same trap used on Captain Marvel was used on the teens, paralyzing them.

"Ms. Martian, Superboy, now!" Kaldur ordered. The Martian complied by using her telekinesis to swipe the remote from the gorilla and switch off the trap; the teens stood up just as Superboy and the Alpha Wolf he was fighting broke into the lab. The wolf growled before attacking Mala. The gorilla was knocked off his feet before standing up and receiving a kick from Kid Flash. Project K.O. jumped to attack but was grabbed by the tail by the Saiyan Prince and slammed into the wall. Mala fired his gun but was kicked by Robin, and then M'gann used her telekinesis to lift Mala up and drop him hard on the floor. He fired his gun again before dodging a punch from the Kryptonian clone; he blasted the boy of steel away just as an arrow shot his pack and blew up. He looked back to see Archery girl and Boy wonder throwing explosives at him, disabling his weapons.

The Brain fired laser blasts at the Atlantean, who made a shield to block it before running to the examination table; The Brain, Mala, and Project K.O. were then surrounded by the young heroes. Aqualad then removed the collar from Marvel's neck, freeing him. "Thanks! Now one good turn deserves another!" he said before getting up and freeing his tiger friend. The Heroes and the predators cornered their enemies, ready to take them down. Mala and the Oozaru roared, showing that they refused to back down.

"Try it. I hate monkeys," Superboy dared as Wolf growled.

"That makes two of us," the Saiyan Prince said.

"Mala, it's time for the final experiment," The Brain decided. "Activate the Blutz wave!"

"The what wave?" Kid Flash inquired.

"Blutz wave? He can't mean…" Trunks muttered just as Mala held up a different remote and pressed a button; the three lights on K.O.'s collar lit up and the beast roared as his eyes grew wider. Its heartbeat got faster as its body started twitching. The Oozaru started getting larger, taking up space in the room.

"Uh, is it just me or is that monkey thing getting bigger?" Kid Flash asked.

"Everybody out now!" Kaldur ordered. The Heroes quickly left the laboratory just as the Great Ape's body expanded to the ceiling and burst through. When it finally finished growing, it raised its fists and roared before staring down at its prey… the heroes. It raised its gigantic fist and swung it toward the teens. They scattered, avoiding the explosive impact of the Oozaru's fist. The Saiyan Prince immediately got into position and put his hands together while taking aim at the beast, but before he could fire at it, the Kryptonian jumped over him and charged at the Oozaru.

"Get out of the way!" Trunks yelled.

"Superboy, do not engage the giant!" Kaldur ordered.

Superboy ignored them and punched the beast in the chest. The Oozaru showed no sign of being injured, so the Genomorph jumped up and uppercut it in the chin. The gorilla simply lowered its jaw, knocking Superboy to the ground before raising his foot over him and stomping on him. _"CONNER!"_ Miss Martian cried. Captain Marvel flew at the monstrous primate and bashed it in the chest; it stumbled backward, freeing Conner and allowing M'gann to carry him away. Marvel attempted to punch the monster again but he was swatted aside by its right hand. Robin and Artemis got behind the Great Ape and launched explosives at its back. It turned toward them and tried to smash them with its left fist but Kid Flash quickly sped by and grabbed them, evading the attack. Aqualad pulled out his water whips and wrapped around the Oozaru's left wrist; he then sent electricity through the weapons that stunned the beast. The Oozaru shook it off and swung its tail at the Atlantean, slamming him into a tree. The beast then tried to stomp on the team leader but Marvel quickly pulled him out of the way.

"You alright?" the Leaguer asked.

"I am well enough," he replied just as the team regrouped beside him.

"What the heck is this thing?" Artemis questioned.

"Don't know, but I do know that we cannot take it ourselves!" Kid Flash said. "This would be a good time to contact the League!"

"Can't, coms are jammed on this island," Kaldur alerted his team. "We're on our own here."

"So what do we do, boss?" Superboy inquired.

" _Miss Martian, read its mind! Try to find a weakness!"_ Kaldur ordered.

"Okay!" Megan complied. Her eyes glowed green as she entered into the beast's mind, but the only thing she could perceive from it was, _'Wake up, destroy all life forms! Destroy all life forms! Destroy!'_ She gasped as she was pushed out of the ape's mind.

"M'gann!" Conner yelled as he helped her up.

"I couldn't find a weakness. His mind is only filled with rage and natural instincts of a predator, and there's some sort of mental command fueling his emotions," she explained.

"Kaldur, now what?!" Robin asked.

"Everyone retreat back to the Bio-Ship!" Aqualad ordered. The Team quickly fled into the jungle, but before they could get far, the Oozaru opened its mouth, firing a red energy beam that landed in front of the heroes, intercepting their path by causing an explosion that blew them backward. The heroes landed on the ground in pain and looked up to see a fiery blockade ahead of them and a giant Great Ape stomping toward them from behind. The Oozaru glared at its prey before opening its mouth again and firing the same Ki blast at the heroes. They all closed their eyes as they awaited their demise; instead, they only heard the sound of the eruption but felt nothing from the attack. They opened their eyes to see a large blue barrier of energy surrounding them, and the one emitting this shield was the Saiyan Prince. Trunks then lowered the energy shield and crossed his arms.

"Multi-Form!" he exclaimed as his body started glowing with energy; he suddenly split into two, surprising the Team. The two Saiyan Princes nodded before going to do their jobs: one of them went to tend to the fire in the jungle and help the mutant animals in danger, while the other advanced on the King Oozaru. Trunks fired numerous blasts at the beast, forcing it to step backward. The ape threw its fist at the time traveler, who quickly dodged it by flying toward its face and kicking it in the forehead. The monstrous primate roared in pain and grasped its face; Trunks then flew behind the ape and grabbed its tail. He pulled with all his might and lift the beast into the air before tossing it up into the heavens. The Demi Saiyan then raised both his hands into the air and surrounded himself in an enormous yellow dome of Ki. **"Heat Dome Attack!"** he shouted as he fired a gigantic energy beam into the sky, where it collided with the Oozaru. The explosion blinded everyone watching aside from the Son of Vegeta; the Brain and Mala watched in awe at the fireworks display that consumed their comrade.

"Magnificent, isn't it, Mala?" the Villain asked his simian assistant, who grunted in response. "Such overwhelming power, in the hands of one man! This is truly an excellent speculation."

The Team was just as astonished as their enemy was at Trunks' power. "Super Strength, Super Speed, duplication, laser blasts, force fields… just who or what the heck is this guy?" Robin inquired.

"No idea, but he seriously doesn't mess around!" Kid Flash replied.

"I didn't think anyone could wield such incredible power," Aqualad admitted.

"Does his friend have the same power?" M'gann inquired.

"If so, then they must've been holding back when we went up against them," Superboy stated.

"Good thing they did, or else we would've been demolished," Artemis remarked.

When the explosion ended, there was a large cloud of smoke in the sky; the Oozaru burst out of the cloud and roared in fury as he descended on the Demi Saiyan. Trunks backed away as the beast smashed his fist against the earth. The Saiyan Prince raised an eyebrow at the primate in confusion. _"He shouldn't have survived that attack. Even if it was half of my power, it should've been enough to obliterate him,"_ Trunks thought. _"He must be stronger than I originally thought, and I can feel his power level increasing by the minute."_

The Oozaru roared as it released a massive energy wave from the result of its growing power. It then opened its mouth again, firing the energy blast from its jaws at the Super Saiyan; Trunks held out his hands, catching the attack before deflecting it into the atmosphere. _"I have to end this quickly before this whole jungle is wiped out,"_ Trunks thought before he spoke to the other heroes telepathically. _"Listen, you guys! That thing needs to be stopped!"_

" _Dude! Sending messages into someone's mind without permission is rude, you know!"_ Kid Flashed replied.

" _Sorry, but I need your help to stop that monster ASAP!"_ Trunks told them.

" _Why should we help you?"_ Superboy questioned the Saiyan.

" _Because if you don't, that thing could wipe out everything in its path, and I'm the only one who knows what it is and its weakness!"_ Trunks answered harshly.

The team glanced at each other before their leader said, _"Please, educate us."_

" _First, that thing is an Oozaru! A giant monstrous ape that a Saiyan transforms into during the full moon,"_ Trunks explained.

" _What's a Saiyan? Some sort of were-monkey?"_ the Speedster asked.

" _I'll explain that part later,"_ Trunks answered before continuing. _"The reason behind this transformation is that when the moon is full, a new energy source known as Blutz wave is emitted from it and absorbed. This form usually amplifies the Saiyan's power tenfold, but there's something different about this Oozaru; its power seems to be growing rapidly!"_ The Great Ape gave the Super Saiyan a fierce look before attempting to stomp on him; Trunks evaded the attack and began hopping in every direction in order to avoid the Oozaru trying to stomp him. _"If we don't stop him soon, his power will grow to the point where he can destroy this entire planet in one go!"_ he warned the other heroes.

Although the team didn't understand most of what the Saiyan teen said, they acknowledged that they had to save the world from this vicious beast. _"So what's the plan?"_ Robin asked.

" _Here's the plan: I'm going to jump right in front of the Oozaru's face and blind it! You guys remember the technique I used to escape you, right?"_ Trunks elaborated as he continued to evade the giant primate's assault. _"Once he's distracted, Captain Marvel will fly behind the ape and grab onto its tail!"_

" _Why?"_ Marvel questioned.

" _Its tail is its weak point; if you squeeze it with all of your might, the beast will lose all of its strength and become paralyzed!"_ Trunks revealed. He then pulled out his sword and tossed it over to the Kryptonian hybrid, who caught it _. "Once the Oozaru's been immobilized, Superboy will use my sword to cut off its tail, which will prevent it from absorbing Blutz wave and return it to its original form. At that time, Aqualad will quickly remove its collar so that the monkey and the brain can't control it!"_

" _What about us?"_ Artemis asked.

" _It's best if the four of you stood back or helped my other half deal with the fire,"_ Trunks suggested.

Kaldur nodded in agreement. _"Good idea! Robin, Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Artemis, assist the other Saiyan Prince in attending to the fire and securing the safety of the animals here!"_ The four protégés nodded before running toward the fiery jungle.

" _Alright guys, shield your eyes and get ready!"_ Trunks said before he jumped up to the Oozaru's face; he looked it right in the eyes as he placed his fingers beside his face. "Nighttime's over, pal! Time for the sun to shine! **Solar Flare!** " The Demi Saiyan unleashed an intense flash of light that struck the beast right in the eyes; the Oozaru then covered his face in agony while the Saiyan Prince turned to his allies and shouted, "NOW!" Captain Marvel flew around the monster in pain and grabbed his tail, wrapping his arms around it tightly to apply pressure. The Oozaru slowly turned to glance behind him to see the member of the Justice League squeezing his tail. The Kryptonian clone then jumped up with the Saiyan Prince's sword and swung it downward, slicing the beast's tail right off. The Oozaru grunted as its body began to slowly decrease in size. Eventually, the monstrous ape shrunk down to its original size with a humanoid form composed of bulky muscles, long spiky hair, and red eyes. It collapsed onto the ground as the Captain dropped its severed tail. The Atlantean then leaped toward project K.O. and ripped its collar off.

"Alright, the beast is finished!" Marvel exclaimed.

"Not yet," the Saiyan Prince said as he descended to the ground and aimed his hand at the experiment.

"What are you doing?" Kaldur inquired.

"I'm ending it!" Trunks replied as he channeled Ki into his palm; before he could fire it, Superboy dashed toward him and grabbed his wrist. The Saiyan glared at the Kryptonian. "Is there a problem?" he asked sternly.

"You can't kill him," Superboy said.

"And why's that?" Trunks inquired.

"Because heroes don't kill! What kind of heroes are you?!" the Genomorph hero demanded.

"One who gets the job done!" Trunks answered. "If we don't take him out now, he could still pose a threat to this planet!"

"We'll deal with him, and if he becomes a danger, we'll stop him!" Superboy declared as he gripped the Saiyan Prince's wrist tighter. "Just like I'm stopping you from killing him!"

"You don't know who you're dealing with!" Trunks warned the clone.

"Took the words right out of my mouth, spiky!" Conner retorted. The two alien hybrids stared at each other intensely until they heard a grunting noise; they looked over to the King Oozaru, who got to his feet as he was joined by The Brain and Mala. The two villains watched as the mutant primate opened its jaw and fired a super strong energy blast from its mouth at the half-breeds. The blast knocked them both backward while creating a large smokescreen to cover the villains; Trunks quickly used a kiai to blow the smoke away but their adversaries had already vanished.

"Are you satisfied now?! That monster escaped, with the same people that were controlling it!" Trunks yelled at the clone.

"We probably would've restrained them if you hadn't tried to kill 'em!" Superboy pointed out.

"Or if you hadn't stopped me from doing it!" Trunks argued back. The two looked like they wanted to fight before they were interrupted by the Justice League hero and the team leader.

"Uh guys, now really isn't the time to be arguing," Marvel suggested.

"Captain Marvel is right. We need to be sure every animal on this island has been freed from The Brain's control," Aqualad said.

The Saiyan Prince and the Superboy were still glaring at each other but took a step back and nodded to show that they agreed that that was their top priority. As the Captain and the Atlantean went to assist the rest of the team, the half-breeds stuck back for a few minutes. "Don't think this is over yet, spiky," Superboy whispered.

"Wouldn't dream of it, broody," Trunks replied before the two went to join their comrades.

* * *

Moments later, the Team, Captain Marvel, and the Saiyan Prince had met up at M'gann's Bio-Ship finishing up on their job. Aqualad removed the final collar off the neck of a mutant monkey before it ran off into the wild. "That's the last of the collars?" Captain Marvel asked his tiger friend, who responded with a roar. "And I can count on you to make sure the other animals stay out of trouble?" The tiger roared again and received a pat on the head. "I'll be back for a visit, I promise," the Captain assured the cat before it left into the jungle. "I think I'll call him Mr. Twany."

"The rest of the pack is gone, so what are you still doing here?" Superboy asked the white wolf beside him.

"I think he wants to stay with you," M'gann said.

"Can I keep him?" Conner asked.

"First the Sphere and now this beast, you sure make a habit of bringing home strays," Kid Flash commented.

While the three protégés were discussing Superboy's new pet, Aqualad had wandered over to the Bio-Ship, where Robin was waiting for him. "Look, I need to know… why'd you keep the mole Intel a secret?" the Boy Wonder questioned his leader. Aqualad glanced at the rest of his teammates, who were all waiting for the same answer.

"The source of the tip was Sportsmaster," Aqualad revealed.

"What?! You can't trust him!" Artemis immediately protested.

"I did not," Kaldur admitted. "It seemed possible, even likely, that he attempted to divide the team with false information."

"And given how this mission went, he nearly succeeded," Robin realized. "But you still had to consider it might be true."

"Yes. As leader I did. In which case I did not wish to alert the traitor," Kaldur said.

"Hate to say but… makes sense," Robin relented.

"I am still prepared to step down," Kaldur declared.

"All in favor of keeping Aqualad as leader?" Kid Flash asked as he raised his hand; the rest of the Team did the same, including Batman's protégé who smiled at the Atlantean.

"Guess it's unanimous," Captain Marvel said as he offered his hand to the still-team leader, who shook it.

At that moment, Trunks' duplicate descended onto the ground and merged back with his other half. "Alright, the fire is out and all the animals have been rescued and are safely returning home," Trunks reported to the team.

"Thank you, Saiyan Prince, for the assistance, especially against the monstrous ape," Aqualad said the Demi Saiyan.

"Don't mention it," Trunks replied before turning to leave. "See ya around!"

"Wait a minute! Didn't you say you had some business with us?" Artemis inquired.

"Are you sure you wanna know that now?" Trunks asked them. "You guys just resolved your own problems; I wouldn't want to add another to your list."

"Please, if there is something you need from us, let us know," Aqualad requested.

Trunks nodded before pressing the button on his scouter; a holographic image of the Android hero appeared before the young heroes. "Red Tornado!" Kid Flash exclaimed.

"So you guys know this Android?" Trunks inquired.

"Yeah, he was our… supervisor, until recently," Artemis answered.

"Well _recently_ , he's been doing other things… like attacking me and my comrades," Trunks revealed, surprising the team. He pressed the button again, and this time, images of the Red Ribbon Androids and the Reds appeared. "Yesterday, your supervisor and two other androids I didn't recognize attacked us alongside Androids 13, 14, and 19. They kidnapped Super Ranger and fatally injured my partner Saiyan Kid before leaving without a trace."

"Is your friend ok?" M'gann asked.

"He's recovering, but he'll still be upset when he finds out about Ranger being abducted," Trunks answered. "After the attack, I received this message…" Trunks pressed another button and said, "Speaker! Replay previous message!" The message from Red Tornado was then played aloud for the team to hear. _"This is Red Tornado," it said "If you're hearing this message, then your enemies and my siblings, along with myself, have succeeded in our attempt to capture the one called Super Ranger. My apologies. I was also recently abducted by my siblings and could do no more than record this message on your devices with my little willpower. I do not know what more to say, other than this… if you wish to rescue your comrade, then you must find the team of young heroes. They are the only ones who can help you get him back!"_

The protégés all had surprised look on their faces, as did Captain Marvel. "I don't believe this," Superboy blurted out.

"Conner, I know it's hard to except but…" Miss Martian said before she was cut off.

"No! I mean I don't trust this guy!" Conner clarified as he pointed at the Saiyan Prince. "You expect us to just believe that Tornado teamed up with some other androids and came after your friends?!"

Trunks glared at the Genomorph. "Look! I only came here because that machine said that you guys could help me get my friend back; it gave me a reason not to dismantle him if I ever saw him again! But if you don't believe me, that's fine! I'm prepared to tear that Android to pieces if it gets me Super Ranger back!"

"Superboy, stand down!" Kaldur ordered before approaching the Saiyan. "We acknowledge your desire to rescue your Android friend; we also wish to find our Android companion. Five days ago, our base was attacked by two Androids who were similar to him. After we defeated them and Red Tornado arrived at the scene, he suddenly incapacitated us. When we came to, he was gone, along with his siblings. We didn't think he would commit such acts in his absence; if he left you a message saying that you must seek our help, it must be for a reason, and it would be in both of our best interests to work together until we can find them!"

"But wasn't our mission to bring this guy and his friends in?" Superboy questioned.

"It _was_ our mission, before we failed it," Kid Flash reminded him. "Now it's the Justice League's mission, and we're not a part of the league."

"So Cap, you gonna take this guy in or what?" Robin asked.

"I think I'll let him go this time. Consider it thanks for helping against that monster," Marvel said. "But you have to answer my questions on that thing and yourself next time."

"Sure," Trunks replied.

"Then we are free to work together until we find our Androids," Kaldur said. "Is there a way we can contact you?"

"There is," Trunks answered before he took off his scouter and tossed it to the Atlantean. "That's a scouter. It'll act as a radio com, so you can use it to call me whenever you guys get Intel on the Androids' whereabouts or when you're facing enemies that you're unfamiliar with. I might be able to help with that."

"We'll be sure to do so," Kaldur assured before the device was swiped from him by the Speedster.

"Cool, now this is a souvenir!" Wally exclaimed.

Trunks smiled before saying, "Later," and taking off into the sky.

Right after that, Captain Marvel said, "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow," before turning to leave.

"You're not coming back with us?" Kaldur asked.

"Nah, gotta fly!" Marvel said before quickly flying away. The rest of the Team let it go before entering their Bio-Ship and preparing to go back to their base of operations.

* * *

 **Tokyo, Capsule Corporation home**

The Saiyan Prince made it back to his home, where he was quickly greeted by his dragon companion. "Hey there, Icarus, thanks for the welcome," Trunks said as the dragon licked his face. "How's Gohan?" The dragon gestured over to the room where the Son of Goku was still waiting to be healed. Trunks glanced at the monitor for the medical machine; he saw that the black-haired Saiyan was ninety nine percent healed physically and that his brain waves were slightly off.

Trunks just stared at the glass while still waiting for his friend to wake up. "Hey buddy, looks like you should be healed soon. Which is a good thing cause we've got a lot to talk about." Trunks said. "I ran into that team of sidekicks we met the other day and helped them on a mission. Saw something strange, I mean other than a brain in a robotic jar with a gorilla servant; I saw something that looked like an Oozaru. It was some sort of experiment that the brain created, and it escaped 'cause the Superboy stopped me from killing it. The Team and I have agreed to work together to find Super Ranger and their Android supervisor, but there's something going on with these things happening. First, Tao joins the League of Shadows, next the Androids attack some major heroes, and now there's an experimental Oozaru on the loose. It's clear our enemies and the enemies of the Justice League are conspiring together and it might be for whatever Dr. Zero's planning. You really need to wake up soon, bro, 'cause there a lot of work to be done and I'd like my partner to be by my side again."

As soon as he finished talking, the medical machine's light turned green and it rang; the liquid synthesized with Saiyan DNA was drained and the Son of Goku immediately opened his eyes.

 **A/N: Done! Sure took a while, but now the plan is in motion, and I mean my plan for this story! Now we'll see where this path takes us next; hope those reading will stay tuned 'cause there's still more to come, especially now that season 3 of Young Justice is out and watching it has motivated me. Until next time, TTFN Antihero out!**

 **P.S.- Project K.O. is an Oozaru/human hybrid that was created by Dr. Zero with the assistance of The Brain's cobra venom and was given to the DC villain as a gift, and the K.O. stands for King Oozaru**.


	8. Chapter 8 - Revelation

**A/N: Hey there, AntiHero here!**

 **Disclaimer – I own nothing**

 **Chapter – Revelation**

 **Tokyo, October 1, Capsule Corp. Gravity Chamber**

"Hyah!" Gohan cried as he threw a punch at his sparring partner. Trunks blocked it and countered with an elbow bash attack. Gohan caught the attack with his palm and uppercut the Saiyan Prince in the chin. Trunks backflipped and landed on his feet before dashing at the Saiyan Kid and kicking him in the gut; Gohan winced, which Trunks took advantage of by rearing back his fist and swinging it at Gohan. His punch was suddenly stopped by a brown furry appendage sticking out from Gohan's back: his tail. The Son of Goku smiled as the Son of Vegeta struggled to free his wrist before taking a skull bash to the face. Trunks shook it off and forcefully removed his hand from Gohan's hold and the two Super Saiyan twos started trading blows; it ended with them separating and charging at one another before kicking each other in the cheek. They removed their feet from each other's faces and stepped back. "I think that's enough for now," Gohan suggested.

"Agreed. Computer, shut off 100x gravity simulation!" Trunks commanded the system. The gravity they were training under was immediately reduced to minimum and the Saiyans stepped out of the chamber. It had been eight days since Trunks had encountered the covert team of young heroes and thirteen days since Super Ranger's abduction; the black-haired Saiyan had fully recovered from the battle with the Androids and was ready for action. They each powered down to their base form, took a quick shower, and went on to eat a quick meal. "I think we're really getting the hang of Super Saiyan two. Though, you're still a bit stronger than me since you have a tail," Trunks noted.

"Yeah, but since you're older, your body is better suited to handle the energy that form releases, so you're still pretty tough," Gohan replied. "I should probably get to training my tail so that it's no longer a weakness."

"Good idea. We don't need anyone squeezing it to render you powerless," Trunks agreed before looking up in thought.

"What is it?" Gohan asked.

"It's just… I can't remember ever having a tail," Trunks admitted. "I know my mother told me that I had one when I was younger, but even as a kid I couldn't recall having it around."

"It was probably cut off when you were a baby, and just hasn't grown back since then," Gohan reasoned. "Maybe if you ever have to use the Medical Machine to recuperate, it'll grow your tail back for you, too."

"I doubt it. I'm practically an adult now, so my body's most likely fully matured, which means my tail might not grow back even with the machine," Trunks said.

"Well, it worked for me and my tail hasn't grown back since the last time it was cut off. Maybe it's the human half that's interfering with your tail's regrowth, which is why the machine could regenerate your tail since the liquid is synthesized with Saiyan DNA." Gohan said.

"Speaking of which, how are you feeling? The machine's diagnostics said that your brain waves were a bit different from before you were healed. Do you feel any different from before?" Trunks inquired.

"No, I feel the same as always," Gohan relayed.

" _Maybe that data was wrong,"_ Trunks thought.

"Well, I think it's time I patrolled the streets of Tokyo. Can't have the city think that Saiyan Kid is slacking off," Gohan said as he stood up and pressed the button on his watch, changing into his Saiyan Armor, and went Super Saiyan. "You coming?"

"No, you go ahead, I'm sure you can handle it yourself," Trunks replied. "Besides, I've got some things I need to work on in the lab." He then got up and went off into the laboratory, picking up his blueprints and leaving his partner alone.

"Alright then, see ya later!" Gohan said before taking off for the city. The half Saiyan flew over his new home and even waved to a few people, but then he sensed something just as the ground started to crack.

A giant vine sprouted out of the earth, spreading out smaller vines with petals at the end. The flower started grabbing cars and tossing them around, damaging buildings and nearly crushing a few people. Gohan took immediate action by rescuing any person caught in the plant's attack and catching cars. "Ok, my dad taught me a few things about fieldwork, just never thought I'd have to use them like this. Good thing I've got the perfect tool for weed whacking!" he said before raising his hand above his head and shouting, **"Destructo Disk!"** A razor blade of Ki appeared over his palm and he threw it toward the large plant, cutting most of it off. The severed top of the vine collapsed on the road and Gohan descended to the smaller part of the plant and grabbed it. "If you want to get rid of weeds, you have to get them by the root!" He pulled the plant's roots out of the ground and tossed it into the sky. **"Masenko…ha!"** He fired his signature attack upward, striking the roots and incinerating them to ash. "Now to finish the job," he muttered as he grabbed the severed plant that was still wiggling and threw it into the heavens before destroying it with an energy blast. "That takes care of that," he said before the ground started quaking and many more giant plants came out of the ground. "Or not."

* * *

 **Mount Justice, October 1, 18:16 EDT**

The Team had gathered together at their base of operations, along with Zatarra and Captain Marvel, when the Dark Knight entered via Zeta Tube and said, "Computer, national news!" A holo-screen appeared before everyone with the reporter Cat Grant live. "The initial attack was short-lived, but Metropolis was only granted a short reprieve." As she reported, the Kryptonian and a few other superheroes were doing their best to save endangered bystanders and to stop the rampaging roots. "And despite the intervention of Superman and the Justice League, there seems to be no end in sight." Batman paused the news video before facing the Team and his fellow leaguers.

"Should we get out there?" Robin inquired.

"No, the League will soon have the situation under control, that's not why I'm here," Batman revealed before bringing up another screen with Sportsmaster's face on it. "According to your Intel, Sportsmaster supplied Cadmus blockbuster venom to Cobra."

"Who combined it with Bane's venom to create Cobra venom," Wally continued.

"Which the Brain used to create his animal army and Project K.O.," Robin went on from there.

"And upgrade Wolf," Superboy added.

"The Brian also used inhibitor collars like the ones at Belle Reve Penitentiary," Megan stated.

"Batman, is it possible that plant thingy's on Cobra venom, too?" Artemis inquired.

"I had Green Lantern run a spot analysis. The vine's cellular level does contain trace amounts of Cobra venom variant," Batman confirmed as he showed the Team the plant's cellular analysis.

"These cannot be coincidences; unrelated criminals are cooperating with one another worldwide," Aqualad stated.

"Exactly. It's now clear that our enemies have formed some kind of… secret society of supervillians. The attack on Metropolis is only the beginning," Batman said.

"Got that right," Robin said as he pulled out a holo-keyboard and brought screens of other places with plant attacks. "Plant creatures have sprouted in Gotham City, Star City, Paris, Taipei, Tokyo…" He was cut off when all the holo-screens were filled with nothing but static.

"Dude?" Kid Flash questioned.

"It's not me! Someone's cutting into the satellite signals, all satellite signals!" Robin explained. The screens suddenly changed to a camera shot of the Joker; smiling deviously, the Jester of Genocide tapped on the camera before beginning to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt your regularly scheduled mayhem to bring this important announcement… from the _In_ justice League." He chuckled before moving the camera to capture seven other villains standing together.

"We are responsible for the attacks on your cities. If you wish to save them, a ransom of 10 billion American dollars is required," Count Vertigo instructed. "Delivery instructions have been sent to the United Nations. There is no time limit, but the longer your governments wait…"

The Clown Prince of Crime turned the camera back to his face and finished the sentence. "The more we got to have our… jollies," he laughed while moving closer to the camera before the signal was lost.

Batman tapped his radio com and said, "Roger that, Aquaman, the UN will prepare the ransom as a fallback, but it won't come to that."

Robin tapped the keyboard and brought back the video just received. "Count Vertigo, The Joker, Poison Ivy, Ultra Humanite, Atomic Skull, Black Adam, Wotan; seven heavy hitters, plus a new guy we've never seen or heard of before now!" he exclaimed while focusing on the Injustice League members, especially on the dark-skinned man with spiky, black hair, 3 bangs hanging to the right of his forehead, 2 bangs hanging to the left, 5 bangs standing up in the front, and 4 bangs in the back. He wore a red scouter over his left eye, and battle armor white with a dark blue chest plate, gauntlets, and boots, and yellow shoulder pads. "Probably behind nearly everything and everyone we've faced!"

"There's your secret society," Kid Flash said.

"Not so secret anymore," Artemis muttered.

"Perhaps after India, they realized we would deduce the truth, and saw no point in hiding it any longer," Aqualad speculated.

"Yeah, well that was their mistake! I say we get out there and go kick some plant creature butt!" Wally suggested.

"The Justice League will handle the plants, I have a different job for this team," Batman told them.

"Aw man," Wally groaned, earning him a punch from the Archer.

"With the plants attacking so many locations simultaneously, there must be a central control system. Your mission is to destroy it," Batman instructed.

"You realize what you're really asking them to do?" Zatarra asked the Gotham Hero.

"They're ready," Batman replied.

"Ready? For what?" Kid Flash asked before Artemis slugged him in the arm again. "Ow! Will you cut that—"

"Hello, Wally! If the big guns are gonna be fighting plants, who do you think we'll be fighting?" she asked him.

"I don't know, I guess we'll…" he started to say before Artemis pointed to the screen of the Injustice League. "Oh," he said in realization.

"Well Batman, I trust that you're correct," the magician said.

"I trust that you can locate the enemy," Batman replied.

"Indeed. Wotan's involvement suggests that sorcery is part of how the plants are controlled," Zatarra explained. "Robin, if you would provide a holo-map, I'll search for signs of concentrated sorcery." The Boy Wonder complied and brought up a hologram globe; after chanting some magic words, a spot on the globe was marked with a red dot. "There, that is where you'll find the Injustice League central control system."

"Coordinates locked in, the Louisiana Bayou!" Robin noted.

"We are on our way!" Aqualad said. The Team and Wolf quickly hurried to get suited for their mission, and Captain Marvel was about to follow them before the Dark Knight stopped him.

"Captain Marvel! For this plan to succeed, the entire Justice League must be seen fighting the plant creatures. You, Zatarra, and I are needed elsewhere," Batman instructed. As the Team began to gear up for the battle, Aqualad had made a stop at Kid Flash's shelf of souvenirs and picked up the Helmet of Fate. He was about to leave when he glanced at the scouter he received from the Saiyan Prince after their mission in India; he thought back to the eighth villain from the Injustice League and grabbed the small device before leaving to rejoin his team.

When the young heroes had boarded the Bio Ship, their leader had sat in the first left seat and placed a duffel bag on his right side. "Robin," Aqualad called to the Boy Wonder before tossing the scouter to him. "Can you figure out how to use that?"

"Do you really think we should call him?" Robin asked.

"Yes." Kaldur nodded.

"Hold on, you wanna call for help on our big mission?!" Conner asked in surprise.

"Do you have something to say?" Kaldur responded.

"Yeah, our boss just decided we were ready to take on some of the most dangerous villains known; we should handle it ourselves _without_ outside help, especially his!" Superboy replied. "Besides, what makes you think we need his help anyway?"

"Maybe this?" Robin said as he pulled up the video of the Injustice League and focused on the unknown villain. "Look familiar?"

"The hair and the eyes are a different color, but the physique, hairstyle, and clothing… this guy resembles those heroes in Tokyo," Artemis observed.

"And look, he's got the same monkey tail that Project K.O. had," Kid Flash pointed out. "Could this guy turn into a giant beast at the full moon, too?"

"It's safe to assume that they may be connected, and that the enemies of the Saiyan Prince and our enemies are also working together, so it is sensible that we do the same with him," Aqualad reasoned.

"What if Conner's right? What if we can't trust him?" Miss Martian asked.

"He has assisted us on a few occasions and spends his time protecting Tokyo. Plus, when we tried to apprehend him and his partner, they didn't kill us even though they possessed the power to do so and we started the fight. We should at least give them a chance," Kaldur said.

"Alright, I think I got it," Robin said as he placed the scouter on his face.

"Good, make the call," Kaldur ordered. Batman's sidekick pressed the button on the scouter and waited for a response.

* * *

 **Tokyo**

Gohan threw two more Destructo Disks, severing a few more plants but the remaining had somehow learned and evaded the energy razor blades before wrapping around the Saiyan. Gohan powered up, blowing the vines off him, before flying up and destroying them with energy blasts. Four more sprouted from underground and one of them swatted the Demi Saiyan. Gohan was about to attack when he saw one of the plants striking a building and causing it to crumble onto the nearby bystanders, so he quickly flew to the collapsing building and grabbed the people before they were buried alive. He placed them down and resumed his work on stopping the plant creatures. _"There's no way I can hold off these plants and rescue all these people alone,"_ Gohan thought before getting an idea. _"Maybe I don't have to."_ He then crossed his arms and started emitting Ki as he exclaimed, **"Multi-form!"** He split into four parts, each ready to help their city.

"The two of you are on damage control, destroy these plants with minimum destruction to the city," Gohan told two of his two copies and they nodded. "You're on citizen safety, keep the people safe no matter what!" he instructed the third replica.

"What are you going to do?" the third copy asked.

"I'm heading back to inform Trunks about what's happening, maybe he can help find out why," Gohan answered.

"It looks like he already knows," one of Gohan's clones stated as he pointed at something: three Saiyan Princes were coming their way and stopped before the Sons of Goku.

"Trunks is waiting for you back at the lab," they told Gohan.

The original nodded before flying back toward his home and leaving the city's safety to the copies. He landed by the laboratory and rushed in where he saw the original Trunks talking to the scouter. "Don't worry, he'll be right there!" he said before ending the transmission and addressing the Saiyan Kid. "That was the team of sidekicks; apparently these plants are being controlled by a group of supervillians known as the Injustice League."

"Injustice League? How cliché," Gohan remarked.

Trunks pressed a button on his computer and opened up the video that the villains sent to the world. "These are some seriously dangerous villains around the world and they're guarding the central control system for the plants, but what really caught my eye was this particular one." He pressed another button, zooming in on the black spiky-haired villain. "Recognize him?"

Gohan's eyes grew wide as he indeed did recognize the Saiyan standing with the Injustice League. "Is that Turles?! It can't be, he's dead!" Gohan exclaimed.

"This isn't the first time we've encountered someone from the dead," Trunks stated. "Perhaps it's clone created by Dr. Zero."

"No way, we destroyed all of Gero's DNA samples when we blew his basement lab," Gohan assured.

"I don't know, the Project K.O. that I faced must've contained some Saiyan cells or something in order to transform into an Oozaru," Trunks reminded him. "Maybe Zero had some reserve cells."

"Maybe… but whatever the case, if Turles is working with these villains then we have to stop him!" Gohan declared.

"That's why the Team called us, they think they'll need our help, and they're right," Trunks said.

"Then we'd better get going!" Gohan said.

"Not we, you," Trunks corrected. "You're going to assist the Team while the replicas and I will protect the city. Even with a quarter of your strength, you should be able to handle this Turles. Maybe while you're there, you can help destroy the central control system for these plant creatures."

"Ok. After we've stopped these villains, you should get over there so we can question Turles, he could lead us to Zero or Ranger," Gohan said.

"Sure thing," Trunks agreed before taking Gohan's scouter and pressing the button before handing to back to his friend. "Your scouter's set to track the last signal transmitted to mine, that should lead you to the Team and the villains."

"Thanks, I'd better head there now then," Gohan said as he put his scouter back on. "Be careful."

"I was going to tell you that, we don't know anything about this Turles," Trunks replied.

"Don't worry, if he's anything like the Turles my dad fought, then I can handle him easily," Gohan assured. "Take care of the city. Later!" He revved up and dashed out of the lab, flying towards the Team's signal.

* * *

 **Bayou Bartholomew, October 1, 18:52 CDT**

The Injustice League was at the central control system, which was an enormous plant observing the chaos their plant creatures were causing all over the world. Joker waved his hands, manipulating the movements of every plant and releasing his signature toxin onto the helpless citizens. "Cobra venom's got nothing on good ol' Joker venom!" he laughed.

"Both work well in concert," Vertigo said.

"Yes, but we're putting considerable strain on my baby," Poison Ivy informed them as she started petting the rotting plant.

"As an environmentalist myself, I can tell that this plant may not be able to handle much more stress before dying out," Turles commented before aiming his hand at the control plant and hitting it with an energy blast to sustain its health.

Ultra Humanite then came over and placed a device on the plant; he pressed a button, sending more energy throughout the plant. Wotan then chanted a few magic words to rejuvenate the plant. "We will keep her healthy and safe, Ivy," he assured her. "But she requires more power, Skull!" Atomic Skull fired a blast into a machine linked to Ivy's plant, sending more power into it from bottom to top; the plant's color turned from brown to green as it sprouted out many leaves.

"Stunning what a little teamwork can accomplish," Count Vertigo basked. An alarm suddenly started ringing, making him frown. "Intruder alert!"

Outside the control system, the Team was closing in with their Bio Ship as they flew over the Bayou forest. Every single one of them was mentally preparing themselves for the fight with the villains; some were even checking their gear. Kid Flash was munching on a banana when he noticed the duffel bag beside his leader. "What's in the duffel?" he questioned.

"Plan B," the Atlantean answered.

Miss Martian moaned and placed her hand on her head. "You alright?" Conner asked her.

"Dizzy," she replied.

"Martians get airsick?" Robin inquired.

"She does look a bit greener than usual," Wally pointed out.

"Not me, her," M'gann corrected.

"I feel fine," Artemis answered.

"Not her. The Bio Ship, she's trying to shield us from something…" M'gann explained. True to her words, the organic aircraft was having a difficult time flying through the air as it was being affected by Count Vertigo's attack. The ship swerved around until it could no longer keep itself in camouflage mode and exposed itself to the villains.

"There it is! Adam, Pirate, go!" the Count ordered. Black Adam and the Space Pirate complied as they jumped and double punched the Bio Ship, sending it hurtling through the air. The Team braced themselves for impact but was surprised when the ship stopped in mid-air.

"What happened?" Kid Flash wondered.

" _Whoa, what's up with this ship?! I can actually sense Ki from it, like it's alive or something,"_ Gohan spoke telepathically to the team.

"It's the Saiyan Kid, that's his telepathy!" Miss Martian realized.

"We were expecting the Saiyan Prince to come and aid us," Kaldur said.

" _He's a bit busy keeping the city safe. Besides, I know the guy you called us about personally,"_ Gohan replied.

"How are you able to hold up the Bio Ship with us in it?" Artemis asked.

" _It's not heavy at all! Pretty light actually,"_ Gohan answered before he spotted Turles flying toward him. _"I can sense his power level; it's a bit different than I remember, but it feels just like his alright!"_ he thought.

" **Calamity Blaster** **!"** the pure Saiyan shouted as he placed his hands behind his neck and thrust them forward, releasing a white and purple energy wave at the Demi Saiyan. Gohan couldn't defend himself since his hands were holding up the organic aircraft and so was blown away by the energy attack, which made him drop the ship into the swampy water where many plant vines grabbed it and started dragging it down. The Team recovered from the rough landing when they heard something on top of the ship: Black Adam forcefully tearing a hole in the ship's roof.

Miss Martian shrieked in pain. "He's hurting her!" she shouted.

Superboy acted quickly by jumping up and punching Black Adam in the face, sending him flying. Unfortunately, the hole in the ship allowed water to gush into it, filling the organic aircraft and making it sink faster. "No! No way am I nearly drowning three missions in a row!" Artemis yelled as she and Robin put breathers in their mouths; the Archer handed one to the speedster, who a little surprised but accepted it.

"Wow, uh, thanks," he replied.

"M'gann, we need to get out! Open a hatch!" Superboy told Ms. Martian.

"Hello, Megan! Of course!" M'gann replied while face palming; she formed gills on her neck and dove below the water where she created a hatch at the bottom of the aircraft.

" _Out! Everyone out!"_ Aqualad ordered. The Team quickly swam out of the Bio Ship and resurfaced onto land; they watched as their primary means of transportation was dragged under the water by the roots till they could no longer see it.

"She's in shock, she'll need to recover," M'gann said.

The Team was hit by Vertigo's dizzy ray and collapsed. Kid Flash looked around and spotted the villain responsible coming toward them. "Vertigo!" he exclaimed.

" _Count_ Vertigo to you, peasant!" the Count corrected.

The Kryptonian clone got up to fight but was immediately struck down by Black Adam, so Aqualad reacted by manipulating the water and using it to wash Count Vertigo away. _"Robin, Ms. Martian, disappear! We will keep them busy; you two fulfill the mission objective!"_ Kaldur ordered telepathically. M'gann camouflaged herself and flew off while the Boy Wonder faded into the shadows of the forest. The Atlantean was then socked by Black Adam, getting knocked out. Wolf pounced on the villain before he was thrown off and tossed at Artemis and Wally, knocking them out as well. Black Adam slowly approached them before the Space Pirate was tossed into him. The two got up in time to see Gohan land in front of the unconscious Team and gesture for them to come at him. Adam and Turles charged at the Demi Saiyan, who caught both their punches before slamming them together and kicking them away. The villains flew at Gohan again and threw multiple blows at him but he easily dodged and blocked their strikes; the Saiyan Kid then blew Turles away with a kiai and started pummeling Black Adam repeatedly. When he stopped, Adam was a little disoriented but shook it off and tried to punch the Saiyan, only for his arm to be grabbed right before the boy flipped him over and slammed him into the ground.

"Come on, is that really all you got? I'm barely breaking a sweat here! Aren't you supposed to be a dangerous villain?" Gohan said mockingly. Black Adam rose to his feet again and the Son of Goku rushed to hit him again, but then he suddenly felt woozy and fumbled, allowing Adam to punch him to the ground. Gohan looked up and saw Count Vertigo aiming his vertigo ray right at him, which threw him off balance. Gohan forced himself to his feet and braced himself to resume his fight with Black Adam. The Z Fighter threw a punch at the villain but it was caught and his opponent countered by punching him in the face numerous times. Gohan staggered but stood his ground and held up his fists defensively.

"How are you still standing, boy?!" Vertigo questioned with a glare.

"'Cause a few hits… and a little dizziness… isn't enough to bring me down," Gohan replied as he faced Vertigo and prepared to blast him.

"Then maybe this will be, half-breed," Turles said getting Gohan's attention. The Son of Goku turned and saw the Space Pirate pointing two fingers at the Team while channeling energy through his fingertips. "Surrender, now." Gohan immediately lowered his arms and powered down to his base form while still fighting the Count's vertigo ray. "Good boy," Turles said before Black Adam struck the back of Gohan's head, knocking him out. "And so, the mighty Son of Kakarrot falls."

"This isn't over yet, two are missing!" Vertigo stated.

Somewhere in the forest, Robin and Ms. Martian were trekking along while trying to stay of sight. Batman's protégé was leading the way while looking at his holo-GPS with M'gann close behind him. _"I've lost contact with Aqualad and the others. Should we…"_ she began to ask.

" _Sorry, that not the gig. This is,"_ Robin answered as they spotted their target _. "The Injustice League central control system. Looks like that plant is acting as an antenna to control the other plants worldwide."_

"Well, hello," Poison Ivy greeted the young heroes from behind them, and roots immediately sprouted from the ground and restrained Robin and M'gann. Ultra Humanite came beside her, holding a sniper rifle and pointing it at the Martian. "And goodbye." Ms. Martian quickly used her telekinesis to redirect the gun at the roots at the last second, getting the ape to cut the plants and free her and Robin. "Sorry Boy Wonder, I'm putting an end to your little reconnaissance mission," Ivy declared as Robin ran through the forest. More roots came out of the ground and tried to grab Robin but he evaded them nimbly. Ultra Humanite continued to shoot at M'gann, who flew through the trees and stayed in camouflage mode.

Back with the rest of the Team and Gohan, Wotan had placed the unconscious young heroes in a cage of magic energy with Black Adam carrying it from the bottom and Vertigo standing on top of it while Space Pirate flew next to it. As they were heading back to the central control system, the teens began to stir awake, which the Count noticed and asked, "They awaken. You're certain this will hold them?"

"The cage is impenetrable, even the Superboy or the Saiyan Kid has no chance of escaping," Wotan replied affirmatively.

"You are not the only one trained in the mystic arts, Wotan!" Kaldur stated as he grabbed the bars and tried to use his own sorcery skills to break the cage, but was unable to.

"Please Atlantean, do not pretend you are in my league," the sorcerer said amusingly.

"You really think this parlor trick can hold a Saiyan?! Let's see if you're right!" Gohan exclaimed as he started punching the cage bars while increasing his power, but he then stopped abruptly when he felt an agonizing sensation at his back due to the Space Pirate grabbing his tail and squeezing it. "Damn it."

"As much as it kills me to have a fellow Saiyan in this kind of weakened state, I can't afford to have you cause any more trouble," Turles said. "Looks like someone hasn't been training their tail."

"Dude, I thought your hair was gold, not black, and weren't your eyes teal?" Kid Flash inquired.

"Since when do you have a tail?" Artemis asked.

"Is squeezing your kind of Kryptonite?" Superboy questioned.

"Do you know this villain personally?" Aqualad asked.

"I'll explain it all later, assuming we'll have a later," Gohan answered before facing Turles. "So Turles, what are you doing here anyway? Why are you with these guys?"

"I have my reasons," the full Saiyan answered.

"Oh, you have reasons, just not free will," Gohan said, which made Turles frown. "You're a slave to that Tuffle, a pawn with no control over your actions anymore. You used to be a fierce warrior, but now you're just a mindless puppet who's a disgrace to our race!"

The Space Pirate glared at the Demi Saiyan before pulling his tail to slam him against the cage bars and wrapped his arm around his neck. "How dare you, a half-breed brat, call me a disgrace to the Saiyan race?! I may be a slave, but at least I'm not held prisoner in a cage like some wild monkey! And I'll be sure to show you just how much free will I have when I slaughter you and your friends in the most painful way possible," Turles snarled at the Saiyan Kid, who just glared back at him.

Down below in the forest, Robin was still evading Ivy's plant attacks when he was knocked down and landed in the muddy water; the roots were just about to attack the ex-sidekick again when they were destroyed by Ms. Martian's telekinesis. _"Robin, she's made contact!"_ M'gann alerted her teammate.

" _Artemis?"_ Robin asked.

" _No,"_ M'gann replied as she looked up. Just at the Injustice Leaguers had made it back to their base, something struck Wotan in the back—the Bio Ship—breaking his concentration on the impenetrable cage and freeing the young heroes as the sorcerer fell into the water. This surprise gave Gohan the chance to use what little strength he could summon and kicked Turles in the face, forcing him to let go of the Demi Saiyan's tail before he was blown away by another kiai.

Count Vertigo and the Team fell through the air but the Count was caught by Black Adam. "Not me! Stop those delinquents!" he yelled.

The young heroes landed in the water on their feet and Wolf growled as he and Conner were face-to-face with Ultra Humanite. "I hate monkeys," the clone muttered before attacking the villain with his animal partner.

Artemis and Aqualad spotted Poison Ivy and reached for their weapons, but found that they were stripped of them. "I feel naked, and not in a fun way," the archer remarked.

Ivy attacked with her plants and the young heroes dodged. "We will make our own fun, as we have been trained. Maneuver seven!" Kaldur exclaimed. He placed his hands together, offering Artemis a leg up, which she took and was hoisted over the wild plants, allowing her to kick Ivy in the head. Kid Flash saw Vertigo and Black Adam descend to the ground level and sped toward them, but once again, the Count used his dizzy ray to make the speedster slow down and have Black Adam knock him aside.

"Where are Robin and the Martian?!" the Count demanded.

Ultra Humanite had managed to toss both Superboy and Wolf away while Ivy struck Artemis with her plants. "My baby," she gasped before glancing at the antenna plant that now held numerous explosive disks, courtesy of Robin. However, before they could detonate, Turles stretched his hand at the large plant and used his telekinesis to levitate all the bombs off it. Robin and Ms. Martian, who were standing by the antenna plant, gasped when the bombs were moved high above the central control system; M'gann tried to bring them back down but Turles' power far exceeded her own, allowing him to keep control of the bombs. As soon as they were a safe distance from the base, he fired a blast at one, making it explode which caused a chain reaction and detonated all the explosives. Turles smirked before he sensed someone behind him and looked in time to receive a punch to the face from Super Saiyan Gohan. The Demi Saiyan them raised his right arm and shouted, **"Destructo Disk!"** forming the razor disk of Ki and throwing it at the pure-blooded Saiyan.

Turles swiftly avoided the disk and smirked at the half Saiyan. "Heh, you missed, kid," he taunted.

"Really, 'cause it looks like I gotcha," Gohan smirked back. The Space Pirate's eyes widened before he glanced behind him to see the energy buzz saw flying toward the antenna plant before expanding and severing the top off. **"Masenko…ha!"** he exclaimed as he fired his attack at the severed plant, incinerating it and setting the top part of the base on fire.

The Team was surprised at first but their expressions changed to good ones as they acknowledged that their mission was complete. "Timber," Robin muttered gladly.

Poison Ivy screamed as she summoned more plants to attack Robin and M'gann, but the Martian's telekinesis blew away the plants. Then she was suddenly struck in the back by Atomic Skull when he and the Joker joined the fight. "Children? Children foiled our plan?" the clown questioned in disbelief. "Inconceivable! Unacceptable! Retributionable! That last one might not be a word… so sue me."

"Kill them, kill them all!" Count Vertigo ordered.

Atomic Skull fired mind beams at Robin and Ms. Martian, Black Adam tackled Superboy into a tree while Wolf attacked Ultra Humanite, Gohan was still exchanging blows with Turles, and Artemis was brought to her knees by Count Vertigo's dizzy ray. "Leave her alone!" Kid Flash demanded as he got up but was struck with a blast from Wotan before he could react.

"Enough!" the Sorcerer exclaimed. Robin threw explosive disks at him but he protected himself with a force field. Wotan then summoned lightning from his hands, using them to strike the Boy Wonder, the Atlantean, the Archer, the Speedster, the Kryptonian clone, the enhanced Alpha, and the female Martian. Gohan had evaded the lightning and punched Turles in the face, but he just shook it off.

"How are you this strong?!" the Saiyan Kid inquired.

"Funny, I was about to ask how are you this weak!" the Space Pirate said back.

"How's this for weak?!" Gohan retorted as he fired an energy blast from his right hand at Turles' gut, blasting him away. He then flew at Wotan to attack him but was hit with a blast from Atomic Skull and then tackled by Black Adam. He was pinned to the ground before kicking the villain away but was restrained by Ivy's plants; he revved up to vaporize the plants only to be brought down by Vertigo's attack, allowing Turles to appear behind him and grab his tail and squeeze it, immobilizing him long enough for Wotan's lightning to strike him as well.

The young heroes cried in agony before their leader approached M'gann and repelled the lightning from himself and her. "Plan B," he muttered. Ms. Martian nodded and telepathically summoned her Bio Ship right above them; the alien aircraft opened a hatch and dropped the duffel bag from earlier into Aqualad's hand. The Atlantean opened the bag and brought out the gold helmet.

Wotan ceased his attack when he saw the magic headgear. "The Helmet of Fate," he said in surprise.

"No Aqualad, don't!" Wally warned his friend before he was punched into a tree, where his left arm broke, by Black Adam who was then punched by Superboy. Kaldur placed the helmet on his head, disappearing in a flash of light and reappearing dressed as the Lord of Order. "Ah dude," Kid Flash groaned.

The newly formed Dr. Fate flew to up the evil sorcerer and announced, "Wotan, you are mine!" Wotan fired a magic blast but Fate countered with his own which overpowered Wotan's, blasting him into the destroyed base before he was bound by magic chains.

Turles stomped on Gohan while still gripping his tail and prepared to finish him with an energy blast. "Any last words, half-breed?" the full Saiyan asked.

"Yeah, have you met the others yet?" Gohan countered as he glanced up; three other Gohans dove toward the Space Pirate and kicked him, making him release the original's tail and sending him flying. "Thanks. Where's Trunks?" Gohan asked as he was helped to his feet by himself. "Oh, he's still cleaning up a few weeds, so he sent us on ahead. He'll be here shortly," the copies replied before merging back with the original. Turles returned in time to see the fully restored Gohan proudly smirking at him before nailing him in the chest with a Skull Bash attack.

Robin had just recovered when the Clown Prince of Crime stepped toward him with his nightmarish grin. "Boy Wonder, you are mine!" he declared, imitating Fate's voice. He pulled out a couple of knives and chuckled as he attempted to stab the ex-sidekick, who evaded him swiftly. "Always wanted to crave this bird," Joker laughed as he rushed at Robin again.

Wotan managed to chant some words and break his restrains, sending them back at Dr. Fate, who blocked them with his shield. "Wotan has prepared for your return, Doctor!" the sorcerer proclaimed before chanting another spell; Fate blocked it again but his shield shattered and he took some damage from the attack.

Ms. Martian was having her own problems as she flew to avoid Ivy's plants while in camouflage mode. "I can't see you, Martian, but perhaps I'll hear you scream!" the plant villain shouted.

"Then perhaps I can be of some assistance," Vertigo offered as he used his dizzy ray to catch M'gann. She became exposed and fell to the ground just before the Speedster dashed past the Count, ripping a piece of his cloak off and distracting him so that Artemis could kick him in the head and into Ivy, which she did.

Kid Flash hid behind a tree with the cloth before the Archer came to him and took it. "Hey, that's my souvenir," he complained.

"Hold still," she said simply as she used the ripped cloth to tie his broken arm. She finished just before she was hit with Wolf and the Ultra Humanite tried to punch Wally, but missed.

Wotan continued to fire attacks at Dr. Fate but none of them managed to hit their target. "Surrender sorcerer, you cannot hope to defeat a Lord of Order!" Fate commanded as he hit Wotan with a magic seal, making him vanish. However, the sorcerer reappeared behind him and struck him in the back.

"I CAN DEFEAT YOU AND I WILL!" Wotan swore as he prepared to strike again but stopped when he heard someone speaking a spell just before it hit him in the chest.

"Not tonight, Wotan!" Zatarra declared as he, Hawkgirl, Hawkman, Captain Marvel, Captain Atom, and Martian Manhunter descended to their base. The sorcerer was blasted to the water which distracted Ultra Humanite, allowing Superboy to sock him in the face. Robin was still dodging Joker's slashes when a Batarang knocked one of the knives from his hand. The clown glanced up to see Batman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Aquaman being carried by Green Lantern and accompanied by Superman. Pretty soon, the Injustice League aside from Turles was surrounded by the Justice League and the Team.

"It's over," the Dark Knight stated.

The villains looked at each other before raising their hands up to surrender. "There will be another day," Vertigo said.

"Another day? _Another day?!_ There won't be _another day_ , not for any of us!" Joker shouted angrily as he started moving his fingers; numerous roots came out of the water and started releasing the clown's deadly toxin.

"Joker Venom spores! Don't breathe!" Batman instructed before knocking his sworn enemy out with a punch.

The killer laughing gas started to fill the area when Dr. Fate flew above it and shouted, "FEAR NOT!" as he created his symbol barrier and used it to absorb all the gas. "FATE HAS INTERVENED!" The Lord of Order was suddenly struck in the back by Turles, surprising the heroes down below.

"The clown had the right idea, he just couldn't execute it properly!" the Space Pirate said as he raised his hands over his head and formed a giant gold sphere of Ki. "This is the last day any of you will see!" Before he could throw the attack, a sword was hurled at him and struck his hand making him lose his hold on the blast which got it to detonate prematurely. Turles blew away the smoke and saw the Saiyan Prince reclaiming his blade while glaring at him.

"That's where you're wrong, Turles!" Trunks declared before phasing in front of the full Saiyan and kicking him to the earth. He landed on his hands and feet and looked up in time to see the Son of Goku standing over him, slamming his right fist into his left palm.

"This is for squeezing my tail," Gohan said before he kicked Turles in the chin and started pummeling him. The Justice League, the Team, and the Injustice League watched in awe as the young Saiyan mercilessly beat the older Saiyan without hesitation.

"We have to stop him before he kills that guy!" Superboy stated as he and his comrades rushed to intervene, but stopped when Gohan elbow bashed Turles into the ground.

The Saiyan Kid then spread his arms out and concentrated his energy into his palms before putting them together. **"Light Grenade!"** he shouted, firing a ball of Ki at the Space Pirate that made contact and exploded massively. Everyone aside from the Demi Saiyans shielded their eyes from the blinding light, but they could hear Turles' cries of anguish before the light died down and they saw nothing left of Turles but smoke from the spot where he was last standing.

"He-he killed him," M'gann muttered.

"He's a monster," Robin said.

The Justice League and Injustice League were still in shock when Superboy angrily approached the Son of Kakarrot. "How could you just kill him like that?! He was a person, what right do you have to end his life on a whim?! You call yourself a hero, yet you're just as ruthless as these villains!" he shouted, enraged. Gohan just raised an eyebrow and pointed at the smoke; though confused, the Kryptonian clone looked back and was surprised to see the smoke starting to gather until it took the shape of the Space Pirate. "What the heck?"

"What is that? His soul?" Artemis asked.

"Something like that," Gohan answered. "He's a ghost warrior: a deceased fighter pulled from hell by a machine called the Hatchiyak. The machine feeds off of the grudges of the deceased and allows them to take physical forms, and when the body is damaged severely, they revert back to their gas form. He's not truly alive, and only what killed him the first time will do it again now." The half Saiyan then glared at the ghost warrior who was just floating like a small smoke cloud. "If you're thinking about releasing that gas form of yours to try and kill us, well, you saw how that worked out before now. So unless you wanna cease to exist, you'll run home to your master and give him message from me."

"This isn't over, half-breed!" Turles stated.

"Agreed, now about that message," Gohan said.

"What's your message?" Turles asked furiously.

Gohan's expression turned serious. "Tell your master that it doesn't matter what his plan is or how many mindless slaves he sends our way, I'll find Super Ranger, and when I get him back, I'll find him and Dr. Zero and I'll bring them both down!" he promised to the ghost warrior before it vanished into the wind.

Moments later, most of the Justice League had rounded up the Injustice League and left to take them to prison, leaving Batman, Aquaman, Captain Marvel, Zatarra, the Team, Dr. Fate, and the Saiyans at the destroyed central control system. "What were you thinking?! How could you let him put on the helmet?!" Kid Flash yelled angrily. "Nabu will never release him now; Kaldur will be trapped inside Dr. Fate forever." To his surprise, the Lord of Order grabbed the Helmet of Fate and removed it, turning him back into Aqualad. "Nabu let you go?" Wally questioned incredulously.

"He almost did not, but your friend Kent was most helpful. He says hello," Kaldur replied.

"We're done here," Batman stated to the Team. "The Supervillain Secret Society has been neutralized. As for your performance… it was satisfactory." The teen heroes looked at each other, clearly ok with that response from their boss.

The Saiyans were a few feet away listening before talking to each other. "Quite the day, don't you think?" Gohan asked.

"Agreed. What happened to you? The clones sensed your Ki weaken before disappearing then reappearing only to get weaker again," Trunks inquired.

"Let's just say things got a little rough, so I'll need to start training my tail ASAP so that I'm prepared for next time," Gohan replied. The Z Fighters heard an "ahem" and looked to see the Team approaching them.

"We wanna apologize for accusing you of murdering someone willingly, and to thank you for your assistance," Aqualad said. "We might not have succeeded without it."

"I'm sure you guys could've handled it, but we're happy to help," Gohan responded.

"You guys helped us twice even after we tried to capture you, looks like we really owe you, huh?" Robin said.

"No kidding," Kid Flash agreed.

"I hope we can repay you someday," Megan said.

"You can repay us by keeping in touch. Remember, we still need to find our Androids," Trunks reminded them.

"Yeah, we do," Superboy said.

"Guess we'll be teaming up again, huh?" Gohan asked.

"Without a doubt," Kaldur confirmed as he offered his hand. Trunks accepted it and shook it before he and Gohan turned to leave.

"Wait! You guys still need to tell us about these new enemies that you know about and who or what you are?" Kid Flash said.

"Maybe next time. Till then, see ya around," Trunks said before he and his partner took to the skies.

The Justice League watched as the heroes of Tokyo left from the battlefield. "Should we have just let them go?" Zatarra asked.

"Come on, they're alright," Shazam said.

"They helped stop the Injustice League, so we'll let them go… until next time," Batman answered sternly.

In the sky, Gohan and Trunks were flying back home when something occurred to the Saiyan Prince. "Hey Gohan, are you feeling alright? Back when you were beating up Turles, you seemed angry. I mean angrier than you usually are," he asked his friend.

"I was just upset that he grabbed my tail, but I'm fine now," Gohan assured him.

Trunks nodded to the Saiyan Kid but still wondered if he had changed after recovering from the medical machine.

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

A giant screen showed multiple videos of the Injustice League's plant catastrophe from all over the world and how the Justice League struggled to handle the situation. "Impressive, the plant creatures have proven their usefulness as potential weapons. More importantly, the so-called heroes now believe our secret society has been revealed and crushed," Vandal Savage observed as the screen changed to the false Supervillians society. "With the Injustice League serving as our proxies, we are once again free to operate with impunity." Standing to his left were his colleagues, Queen Bee, Ocean Master, and Ra's al Ghul; on his right, Lex Luthor, Klarion, and the Brain. "And shadows still conceal our light."

"Now, I believe we all know the other reason why we're here," Ra's said. "To discuss the recruitment of this Raichi and his associates."

"I like them, they have some pretty nice toys," Klarion commented and his cat meowed in agreement.

"They can provide much technology, equipment, and other assets from their world, like Project K.O.," Brain added. "A few more adjustments and King Oozaru will be ready to serve the light."

"Their training and fighting skills are comparable to the shadows, and I believe that learning to use this Ki could prove beneficial," the Demon's Head mused.

"Can we trust them?" Queen Bee asked. "My abilities have no effect on them, so we might not have a way to control them; can we be certain that they won't betray us in the future?"

"Exactly, look at how one of them just tried to end both the Justice and Injustice League. They seem too wild and reckless," Ocean Master remarked. "Right now, they are nothing more than expendable resources. What would happen if we changed that and they try to destroy us or we are forced to destroy them?"

"The more dangerous the Injustice League appeared, the more the heroes believed they were the secret society behind everything till now," Savage said. "And with one of the members gone, the heroes will spend their time trying to locate more potential comrades for the society before they can be reformed, keeping their attention off of us for the time being."

"My friends, it's clear that we are unsure if we wish to add Raichi and his unknown boss to our cause, so it seems best if we speak to them face-to-face," Luthor offered, "which is why I invited them here." Luthor gestured to the shadow and Dr. Raichi entered on his floating orb. "This is Dr. Raichi, the representative for the Red Ribbon Army."

"A pleasure. So you are the true Supervillain society, the Light, I believe," Raichi chuckled. "Quite the anti-climatic title."

"I'm surprised you knew of our existence before now," Brain remarked.

"We've known even before we met Luthor, which is why we sent Space Pirate to assist the Injustice League. We didn't want to lose anyone unexpendable," the Tuffle replied.

"I thought there would be more of you for this encounter," Queen Bee said. "Seems a little arrogant to come here alone with the risk of being attacked or betrayed."

"I am all that is required in terms of intellect for this meeting. If brute force is needed…" Raichi's orb glowed and Turles, along with Lord Slug, Frieza, and Cooler materialized beside the Tuffle. "I have plenty of strong-arms at my disposal."

"Ah, so that is where Space Pirate Turles went when he was defeated. I have to admit, this new kind of life after death your breed does… intrigues me," Savage admitted.

"As it does I, but let's get to the point… what exactly is your goal?" Ra's al Ghul questioned.

"My goal is the same as my partner's: to advance the human race and create the perfect army," Raichi replied. "In our world, humans also fell short to the power of otherworlders."

"Is that so?" Luthor asked.

"Yes. Decades ago, the Red Ribbon Army was composed of the best human soldiers and advanced weapons the earth could produce. Not the Earth's own military forces could oppose them and their company had only one rival. But all that changed when a single alien warrior challenged their might," Raichi explained. "This warrior was a Saiyan, a race of alien warriors who lived for battle, and this child was the last survivor of this now endangered race. He was sent to Earth to destroy all life, but as fate would have it, he suffered a fatal blow to the head as an infant and lost his memory. Though it didn't stop him from wiping out the entire army with his own power, and he wasn't the last alien to come to Earth; more arrived drawn to the power of this single fighter. As he and his alien comrades grew stronger from battle, more dangerous foes came to challenge them. He had human allies who were incredibly strong too, but there was a wide margin between their power and his own. The Chief Scientist of the RRA, Dr. Gero, planned to get revenge by creating an army of cybernetic super soldiers to defeat the Saiyan of Earth, but before that could happen, the alien died of a heart virus. Gero's Androids battled against the Earth Saiyan's comrades and bested them, both alien and human till only one was left, yet the final one somehow acquired the power to surpass them and killed them easily. With Dr. Gero gone, his dream is now in the hands of the AI he created: our boss, Dr. Zero. That is why we came here, to learn how to advance the human race before there are none left and not to rely on some alien hero to defend us."

The Light glanced at one another before Vandal Savage spoke. "We understand your feelings and share you ideals. We believe you and Dr. Zero could make excellent additions to our society," he said to the Tuffle. "However, we still need to see if we can trust you before we make you one of us. You'll need to prove yourself to us, in your own way."

"I can assure you, Dr. Zero will do what he can to enter the Light," Raichi said.

"Now then, I believe you had a deal with Luthor about something you wanted in exchange for your services with the Injustice League," the Demon's Head recalled.

"Three things actually," Raichi corrected.

"Name them," Luthor said.

"Dr. Zero wishes to borrow the geniuses T. O. Morrow, Professor Ivo, and Project Cadmus," Raichi answered.

Vandal Savage held out his hand for the Tuffle, who accepted it, and the immortal villain smirked and replied, "Done."

 **A/N: Done! Sorry I haven't updated this story in a while, kinda got sidetracked. But I'm back and with some new ideas. Till next time, TTFN AntiHero out!**


End file.
